Synthesis and second-order nonlinear optical properties of new bipyridyl metal complexes

Abstract

The synthesis and characterisation of a series of new π-donor substituted vinyl bipyridines and their rhenium, zinc and mercury complexes {donor = 4-R₂N–C₆H₄–[R₂N = Me₂N, Buⁿ₂N, (Me)(OctⁿN)]; (η⁵-C₅H₅)Fe(η⁵-C₅H₄-)} with large nonlinear optical properties are presented; EFISH experiments at 1.34 µm show that complexation leads to a strong enhancement (by a factor of 3 to 9) of the molecular hyperpolarisability β(0).