D-π-A chromophores based on novel macroacceptors - Fused (azinylmethylene)malononitriles: Linear and nonlinear optical properties in solution and in poled polymer films

Abstract

D-π-A chromophores based on novel macroacceptors − fused azinylmethylenemalononitriles (fused azine = pyrido [2,3-b]pyrazine, quinoline, quinoxaline and quinoxalin-2-one) − have been synthesized and their linear and nonlinear optical properties in gas, solution and in poled PMMA-based films have been investigated by DFT, UV–vis and second harmonic generation technique. The transition from chromophores with an azine acceptor to ones with azinylmethylenemalononitrile acceptors leads to a 10-fold increase in calculated μβ values. Poled polymer films doped with studied chromophores at 25 wt% load exhibit quadratic nonlinear optical activity with d33 values up to 42 pm/V.