Nonlinear optical properties of multipyrrole dyes.

The nonlinear optical properties of a series of pyrrolic compounds consisting of BODIPY and aza-BODIPY systems are investigated using 532 nm nanosecond laser and the Z-scan technique. Results show that 3,5-distyryl extension of BODIPY to the red shifted MeO2BODIPY dye has a dramatic impact on its nonlinear absorption properties changing it from a saturable absorber to an efficient reverse saturable absorbing material with a nonlinear absorption coefficient of 4.64 × 10-10 m/W. When plotted on a concentration scale per mole of dye in solution MeO2BODIPY far outperforms the recognized zinc(II) phthalocyanine dye and is comparable to that of zinc(II) tetraphenylporphyrin.