Preparation and optical properties of hybrid coatings based on epoxy-modified silane and rhodamine B

Amorphous silica materials have been successfully prepared by the controlled hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane and glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane. The rhodamine B has been introduced into the hydrolized silicate solutions. Thin films have been obtained by spin-coating of the obtained hydrolizates on quartz glass substrates. The morphology of the resulting thin-film samples have been characterized by optical and atomic force microscopies. The spectroscopic properties of samples have been characterized by FT IR and UV–VIS–NIR absorption measurements. The photoluminescence spectra have been recorded at room temperature. The emission of the hybrid materials doped with the dye exposed to UV radiation as a function of laser pulses has been measured. Basic physicochemical properties of the modified silica materials have also been determined.