Amplified spontaneous emission and Förster resonance energy transfer between Alq3 and DCM original derivatives

The red light-emitting organic molecule 6-(tert-butyl)-4H-pyran-4-ylidenemalononitrile (DCM) is commonly used in organic light-emitting diodes and as a gain medium in organic solid-state lasers. The photophysical properties of DCM can be enhanced through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), a mechanism that requires donor and acceptor molecules. In this work, four DCM derivatives serve as the acceptor, and two derivatives of the widely used organic semiconductor tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)aluminum (Alq3) as the donor. The absorption of the acceptor overlaps with the emission of the donor, enabling effective FRET between the two molecules. Amplified spontaneous emission was successfully observed in all samples and these compounds could be used for creating organic solid-state laser gain media.