Triphenylamine-based fluorescent NLO phores with ICT characteristics: Solvatochromic and theoretical study

Abstract

The static first and second hyperpolarizability and their related properties were calculated for triphenylamine-based “push-pull” dyes using the B3LYP, CAM-B3LYP and BHHLYP functionals in conjunction with the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. The electronic coupling for the electron transfer reaction of the dyes were calculated with the generalized Mulliken-Hush method. The results obtained were correlated with the polarizability parameter αCT, first hyperpolarizability parameter βCT, and the solvatochromic descriptor of 〈γ〉 SD obtained by the solvatochromic method. The dyes studied show a high total first order hyperpolarizability (70–238 times) and second order hyperpolarizability (412–778 times) compared to urea. Among the three functionals, the CAM-B3LYP and BHHLYP functionals show hyperpolarizability values closer to experimental values. Experimental absorption and emission wavelengths measured for all the synthesized dyes are in good agreement with those predicted using the time-dependent density functional theory. The theoretical examination on non-linear optical properties was performed on the key parameters of polarizability and hyperpolarizability. A remarkable increase in non-linear optical response is observed on insertion of benzothiazole unit compared to benzimidazole unit.