Enhanced photoluminescence and color tuning from Rhodamine 6G-doped sol–gel glass matrix via DNA templated CdS nanoparticles

High-performance organic solid-state lasers can be fabricated using a variety of host and luminophore combinations. Rhodamine 6G is a promising candidate for tunable solid-state laser materials. It may, however, degrade faster when exposed to light. Sol–gel is a technique for fabricating glasses at low temperatures that prevent organic dyes from degrading. This work investigates the effect of deoxyribonucleic acid-capped cadmium sulfide nanoparticles on the photoluminescence of Rhodamine 6G-doped sol–gel glass. The samples were characterized by absorption spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and powder x-ray diffraction. The chromaticity studies of the samples were carried out to evaluate the Commission International d’Eclairage coordinates, color correlation temperature, and color purity values. The photoluminescence studies of Rhodamine 6G-doped sol–gel glasses show enhancement in intensity and tuning of emission wavelength in the presence of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles. The annealing temperature effect on the photoluminescence was also investigated. The studies and observations have revealed the possibility of using CdS-incorporated Rhodamine 6G-doped sol–gel-derived glass as a tunable material for organic solid-state lasers.