Fluorescence, optical absorption and third-order nonlinear optical properties of terbium (III) complex embedded into DNA-CTMA matrix

New DNA based materials, functionalized with hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTMA) and terbium - bis - (2.2′ - bipyridine) triazotate molecules [Tb(NO3)3(bpy)2], were prepared. The obtained complexes were processed into good optical quality thin films by spin coating method on commercial glass substrates and characterized for their spectroscopic, linear and nonlinear optical properties. The solution absorption and fluorescence measurements show incorporation of Tb(NO3)3(bpy)2 into DNA-CTMA backbones. Furthermore, the photoluminescent properties of the DNA-CTMA/Tb(NO3)3(bpy)2 thin films were superior to that of DNA-CTMA/Tb(NO3)3(bpy)2 solutions. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of thin films were determined by the optical third-harmonic generation technique at 1 064.2 nm fundamental wavelength. A large cubic susceptibility of Tb complex is observed.