Structure−Property Relationships in Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Chromophores

The molecular second hyperpolarizability of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b pigment-protein complex of photosystem II

Photosynthetic structures when imaged with nonlinear optical microscopy give rise to high third harmonic generation (THG) signal intensity due to the presence of chlorophylls and xanthophylls which have large second hyperpolarizabilitiy (γ) values. The γ value of trimers of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b pigment-protein complex of photosystem II (LHCII) isolated from pea (Pisum sativum) plants was investigated by the THG ratio technique at 1028 nm wavelength and found to have the value (-1600 ± 400) × 10(-41) m(2) V(-2). The large negative γ value of trimeric LHCII is due to the presence of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b which have large negative γ values, while positive γ values of xanthophylls reduce the magnitude of the THG signal. Variation was observed between the measured γ value of LHCII and the approximated γ value of LHCII obtained by adding individual γ values of chlorophylls and xanthophylls. This difference can be attributed to the differing inter-pigment interactions of oriented chlorophylls and xanthophylls in the pigment-protein complex compared to randomly oriented non-interacting pigments in solution, as well as a differing dielectric environment of the pigments within LHCII versus the surrounding organic solvent.

Synthesis, Structure and Properties of [(ZnTPP)2(μ2-4,4'-Bipyridine)] (H2TPP = 5,10,15,20-Tetraphenyl-21H,23H-Porphyrin; 4,4'-Bipy = 4,4'-Bipyridine)

The metalloporphyrin [(ZnTPP)2( μ2-4,4'-bipy)], (H2TPP = 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphyrin; 4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine), has been synthesised via a solvothermal reaction and structurally characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It features a planar porphyrin macrocycle and an embedded ZnII ion coordinating to four pyrrole nitrogen atoms and one 4,4'-bipy nitrogen atom. A photoluminescent and theoretical study shows that the complex exhibits an emission in the red region, attributed to ligand to ligand charge-transfer.

Synthesis and third-order nonlinear optical properties of novel ethynyl-linked heteropentamer composed of four porphyrins and one pyrene

Novel heteropentameric porphyrins-pyrene arrays, in which four meso-tetraphenyl porphyrins are linked to the center unit of pyrene by four acetylenyl bonds, were designed and synthesized. The newly synthesized heteropentameric compounds have been characterized by a wide range of spectroscopic methods. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of both the metal-free and zinc compounds of the three-dimensional arrays were investigated by Z-scan experiments, showing enhanced NLO properties compared with that of the porphyrin and pyrene monomers.

N,N'-Dicyanoquinone diimide-derived donor-acceptor chromophores: conformational analysis and optoelectronic properties

A formal [2 + 2] cycloaddition-cycloreversion (CA-CR) between N,N'-dicyanoquinone diimides (DCNQIs) and electron-rich alkynes was explored, providing a new class of π-conjugated donor-acceptor chromophores. These DCNQI adducts exist in the solid state as single diastereoisomers, but as two interconverting diastereoisomers in solution. Solid- and solution-state evidence for intramolecular charge transfer (CT) was obtained; additionally, the DCNQI adducts exhibit positive solvatochromism and significant solution-state third-order polarizabilities.

Solvent effect induced solute damage in an organic inner salt

Nonlinear absorption of a newly synthesized organic inner salt Ge-150 dissolved in four different solvents (DMF, DMSO, acetonitrile and acetone) is investigated by the Z-scan technique with both nanosecond and picosecond pulses. When pulse energy surpasses a threshold and pulse-to-pulse separation is shorter than a characteristic time, all the four solutions show absorption weakening induced by cross-pulse effects in the picosecond regime. However, only two of them (Ge-150 dissolved in DMF and DMSO) show this weakening in the nanosecond regime. By conducting a simple verification experiment, we verify this absorption weakening is induced by solute damage related to solvent effect rather than solute migration. A simple theoretical model is proposed to interpret the experimental phenomenon.

Nonlinear multicontrast microscopy of hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained histological sections

Imaging hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained cancerous histological sections with multicontrast nonlinear excitation fluorescence, second- and third-harmonic generation (THG) microscopy reveals cellular structures with extremely high image contrast. Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy together with second hyperpolarizability measurements of the dyes shows that strong THG appears due to neutral hemalum aggregation and is subsequently enhanced by interaction with eosin. Additionally, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy reveals eosin fluorescence quenching by hemalums, showing better suitability of only eosin staining for fluorescence microscopy. Multicontrast nonlinear microscopy has the potential to differentiate between cancerous and healthy tissue at a single cell level.

Acetylene-derived strong organic acceptors for planar and nonplanar push-pull chromophores

Though investigated for decades, interest in push-pull chromophores (D-pi-A), strong electron donors (D) connected by pi-conjugating spacers to strong electron acceptors (A), continues to grow. Such chromophores are of substantial interest for optoelectronic devices such as waveguides. Also, strong donors and acceptors form bimolecular charge-transfer (CT) complexes and salts, some of which exhibit electrical conductivity and magnetic behavior. Furthermore, strong organic acceptors are increasingly explored as dopants in the fabrication of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and solar cells. This Account describes systematic efforts pursued over the past decade in our laboratory to generate new families of organic electron acceptors (A) and conjugate them via pi-spacers to electron donors (D) under formation of push-pull systems with intense intramolecular CT interactions and high third-order optical nonlinearities. First, we describe donor-acceptor-substituted tetraethynylethenes (TEEs). In these chromophores, the peripherally attached p-nitrophenyl acceptors and N,N-dimethylanilino donors behave as nearly independent redox centers. Acetylenic scaffolding using TEE building blocks produces large all-carbon sheets, such as perethynylated dehydroannulenes, expanded radialenes, and radiaannulenes with potent electron-acceptor properties. Arylated TEEs act as molecular switches allowing two-way photochemical interconversion that is not perturbed by thermal isomerization pathways. Upon sequential substitution of the acetylene moieties in TEEs, we formed another family of potent acceptors, the cyanoethynylethenes (CEEs). Donor-substituted CEEs are planar CT chromophores with very high third-order optical nonlinearities. Their high environmental stability allows for the formation of thin films by vapor-phase deposition. Through careful analysis of the physicochemical properties of CEEs, we established useful guidelines for evaluating and tuning the optical gap in strong push-pull chromophores: increasing the length of the pi-spacer in D-pi-A systems reduces ground-state D-A conjugation and lowers the HOMO-LUMO gap. By taking advantage of "click-chemistry"-type [2 + 2] cycloadditions of tetracyanoethene (TCNE) and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) with appropriately activated alkynes, followed by retro-electrocyclization, the formation of donor-substituted 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobuta-1,3-dienes (TCBDs), 1,1,2,4,4-pentacyanobuta-1,3-dienes (PCBDs), and novel TCNQ adducts is possible. Some of these stable, nonplanar CT chromophores form high optical quality amorphous thin films by vapor-phase deposition. Despite donor substitution, the new acceptors (TCBDs, PCBDs, and the TCNQ adducts) rival TCNE and TCNQ in their ease for reversible electron uptake. High-yielding cycloaddition/retro-electrocyclization cascades provide access to multivalent, dendritic chromophores acting as "molecular batteries" with a remarkable capacity for multiple electron uptake in a narrow potential range. Finally, we used a one-pot protocol for electronically controlled consecutive TCNE and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) additions to end-capped polyynes to form [AB]-type oligomers with a dendralene-type backbone.