Boomerang-shaped octupolar molecules derived from triphenylbenzene

Octupolar molecules are of particular interest in the field of non-linear optics due to their potentially large quadratic non-linearities and challenging material engineering possibilities. In order to design molecules combining enhanced first hyperpolarizabilities and excellent transparency in the visible region, we have implemented a strategy based on the design of all-organic molecules showing multi-dimensional intramolecular charge transfer. In this perspective, we have designed original propeller-shaped conjugated molecules based on a central triphenylbenzene core bearing three phenylene-vinylene blades. By grafting either electron-donating or electron-withdrawing terminal moieties and taking advantage of multidirectional charge transfer between the centre and the periphery of these molecules, octupolar compounds displaying excellent transparency in the visible region and larger non-linearity than DRI were obtained (up to beta (0) = 140 x 10(-30) esu with lambda (max) = 385 nm). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.