Dyeing salt crystals for optical applications

Inorganic materials can encapsulate organic dye molecules in a variety of ways. Those considered here are simple inorganic salts that have adsorbed, oriented, and overgrown dyes during growth from solution, which promise spectroscopic and photonic applications. The Figure shows KH 2 PO 4 crystals in which dyes carrying sulfonate or phosphate groups have been incorporated in the {101} growth sectors (see also the cover of this issue). magnified image