Synthesis of second-order nonlinear optical chromophores with enhanced thermal stability and nonlinearity : A conformation-locked trans-polyene approach

A facile synthesis that combines the use of an easily polarizable thiophene ring and a ring-locked triene as efficient conjugating moieties is employed to simultaneously enhance molecular nonlinearity (as high as 13 000 × 10^-48 esu) and thermal stability; incorporating this highly nonlinear chromophore in polyquinoline results in high electrooptic activity and long-term alignment stability at 100°C for more than 1000 h.