Enhanced poling efficiency in rigid-flexible dendritic nonlinear optical chromophores

A series of nonlinear optical chromophores with the strong electron-withdrawing tricyanopyrroline (TCP) acceptor and rigid-flexible dendron was synthesized and their thermal and optical properties were investigated. Modification of the TCP chromophore with rigid-flexible dendron groups provides reduction of dipole–dipole interactions and thus great improvement of the macroscopic electro-optic (EO) response of the polymeric materials obtained by incorporating these derivatives as a guest in a high Tg amorphous polycarbonate (APC). The best result was obtained with chromophore Lj-Dr1, with three rigid-flexible dendrons, which shows the largest EO activity (39 pm V−1 at 1,310 nm). Furthermore, all chromophores in this study possess good processability and exhibit high thermal decomposition temperatures (highest Td = 300 °C).