Synthesis and characterization of new second-order NLO chromophores containing the isomeric indolizine moiety for electro-optical materials

To further explore the potential application of the indolizine donor group in nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores, we have designed and synthesized new push-pull chromophores (MPI-1)-V-TCF and (MPI-3)-V-TCF, having isomeric 3(1)-methyl-2-phenylindolizin-1(3)-yl (MPI-1(3)) electron donor and TCF acceptor, and compared them with dimethyl aniline (DMA) analogues. The Uv-Vis (linear optical) properties and solvatochromic behavior were also investigated; theoretical predictions of molecular NLO characteristics were done on the basis of the DFT calculations. The indolizine-based chromophores have high thermal stability: the decomposition temperature is 348 °C for (MPI-1)-V-TCF and 343 °C for the (MPI-3)-V-TCF, which is by 10–15 °C higher than that for the chromophore DMA-V-TCF. An important role is played by the bulky phenyl group, which prevents the aggregation of chromophores in guest-host doped polymer films. In NLO activities, the doped (MPI-1)-V-TCF/PMMA and (MPI-3)-V-TCF/PMMA films display the NLO coefficient, d33, values of 40 and 42 pm/V, correspondingly, at the chromophore load of 20 wt%.