Dye-doped electrospun fibers for use as random laser generator: the influence of spot size and scatter concentration

Abstract

The development of electrospun polymer fiber networks embedded with metal oxide nanoparticles in organic dye media favors the photons waveguiding and multiple scattering, providing the adequate environment for random laser action. The use of water-soluble polymer solution as support for electrospun matrix introduces relevant application in biomedical applications. Herein, it is explored the use of block copolymers (Eudragit L100) as support for electrospinning of polymer fiber doped with titanium dioxide (scatter centers) and rhodamine B (gain media). The resulting fiber net presented random laser behavior that depends on aggregation degree of gain media (rhodamine B) due to the combination of reabsorption/reemission processes with tunable response (emission peak position). These results open new possibilities for use of low-cost and water soluble electrospun-based random lasers based on organic dyes and random network of polymer matrix.