Unsymmetrical aryl disulfides with excellent transparency in the visible region for second order nonlinear optics

Abstract

Several unsymmetrically substituted aromatic donor–acceptor disulfides have been synthesized and analysed for their second order nonlinear optical properties. These molecules exhibit moderately high first hyperpolarizability (β) with excellent transparency in the visible region. Most of the unsymmetrical disulfides have a cut-off wavelength below 420 nm. Calculations show that the molecules have an asymmetric charge distribution around the disulfide bond which is responsible for their high β values. These results provide motivation for the design and synthesis of nonlinear optical chromophores with multiple disulfide bonds for large second order nonlinearity and excellent visible transparency.