The present study aims to investigate the nonlinear optical characteristics of a series of azulene-stilbene chromophores through the utilization of density functional theory (DFT). Various acceptor substitution techniques were used to enhance first, second, and third order static and dynamic polarizabilities of the parent azulene-stilbene dyad (AS). The natural transition orbitals and UV-Visible absorption spectra were analyzed using time dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT). Theoretical computations were performed to analyze the structural, electronic, and charge transfer properties of all designed compounds. The energy gap separating the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the designed moieties was observed to decrease in the new compounds compared to the parent compound. Analysis of the nonlinear optical (NLO) data among the designed compounds (AS1-AS10) revealed that AS2, AS3, AS4, and AS10 exhibit promising second and third order NLO characteristics, with AS6 exhibits suitability as a second order NLO material and AS8 and AS9 display third order NLO responses. The computed static and dynamic NLO parameters and maximum absorption wavelength closely match the experimentally reported data in the literature, suggesting these derivatives are excellent candidates for photonic and optoelectronic applications in the future.
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