An organic-inorganic hybrid glass hosting photochromic dyes

Abstract

An organic-inorganic (O-I) hybrid glass hosting photochromic spirooxazine dyes has been prepared via the sol-gel method with organically modified silican alkoxides as starting materials. The utilization of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) at appropriate mole ratios led to different shaped of the glassy materials. The photochromic response, colour-decay speed, thermal and photochemical stabilities of the dye in the hybrid glass were studied and compared with the dye-in-ethanol (DIE) and dye-in-polymer (DIP) systems. The results reveal that (1) the photochromic response is better than both the DIE and DIP systems; (2) the colour-decay speed is similar to the DIE and much higher than the DIP system, and (3) the thermal stability is better than the DIE and similar to the DIP system, while the photostability is between them. Matrix effect is discussed on the photochromism of the dye in the hybrid glass.