Abstract: High concentrations of dye may be prepared in combination with thermoplastic polymers and used in optical polymers as monomeric and dimeric molecular solutions. The method of preparing high concentration levels allows the control over the aggregation of dye molecules that is required to maintain effective nonlinear operation. The present invention is applicable to many systems and is essential to the successful production of working optical limiting devices and other optically transparent polymeric devices, as well as other photonic applications, such as nonlinear optics.

Abstract: The present invention is phthalocyanine compounds with peripheral siloxane substitution, as well as methods for making these compounds and various uses thereof, having the basic structure: wherein —W—X—Y-Z are peripheral groups comprising individual W, X, Y, and Z subgroups; W is a linkage represented by the formula: -D-(R1)0.1-, where D=S or O; X is: —(CH2)n—, n=2 to 8; Y is a siloxane chain; Z is an aryl or alkyl terminal cap; M is two protons or a metal ion; and forms a transparent film of high optical quality with large nonlinear absorption and thermal refraction, free of scattering from solid or liquid crystalline domains making them highly suitable for use as the active component in thin films protective eye wear, and optical data storage applications.