Synthesis and Evaluation of New Nonlinear Optical Organic Compounds

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are of current interest because of their potential applications in the development of optical computers, switches, and information storage devices, as well as laser attenuation. Organic molecules with a donor group and an acceptor group connected through a pi system exhibit a large second order NLO response, the NLO characteristic of the most interest. Previous studies have suggested that by having the NLO molecular units connected in series there is a synergistic enhancement of the NLO effect. In an effort to study this enhancement various p-aminophenyl sulfone monomers, dimers, and trimers were synthesized and evaluated. The results from this study did not confirm such enhancement, and indicate that much more work needs to be done. Also, another class of monomer which was expected to have a high NLO efficiency was synthesized. These monomers were polymerized via condensation polymerization to give the polyesters, which contained a stilbene moiety. These polymers were found to be tractable and possess a high glass transition temperature, which is very desirable. Finally, a method based on simple spectrophotometric measurements, and ground state dipole moment measurements, was evaluated and refined. This method, while not as accurate as standard techniques, is low cost, and simpler to conduct.