Porphyrins and phthalocyanines as materials for optical limiting

This review gives an overview concerning the optical limiting (OL) properties of materials like porphyrins and phthalocyanines. It gives special attention to the phthalocyanine and porphyrin modulation aiming the achievement of effective systems in terms of OL performance through the appropriate combination and modulation of several structural components. The versatility of the methods of organic synthesis here considered permits the variation of the different chemical features, such as the nature of the ring substituents, the central atom, the ligands attached to the central atom and the degree of electronic conjugation of the macrocycle. Previous works on this field are referred, but the more recent developments are emphasised. Review with more than 100 references. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.