Fine Fabrication and Optical Waveguide Characteristics of Hexagonal tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum(Ⅲ) (Alq3) Crystal

Abstract

Herein, we reported on the precise growth and optical waveguide characteristics of hexagonal tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum(Ⅲ) (Alq3) micro-crystals (MCs). The hexagonal Alq3 MCs were prepared using surfactant-assisted assembly growth with the help of cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB), in which the crystallization occurred as a result of molecular assembly and packing. Also, we adjusted the molar ratio of Alq3 and CTAB for the control degree of crystallization. The formation and structure of Alq3 MCs were investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction pattern experiments, respectively. The solid-state laser confocal microscope-photoluminescence spectra and charge-coupled device images for the Alq3 MCs were measured to study the luminescence efficiency and colors, respectively. The optical waveguide performance of the hexagonal Alq3 MCs was measured for each side direction. According to our results, crystalline Alq3 micro-crystals are promising materials for application to the development of optical communication devices.