Molecular optical materials, applications

Optically active polymers n. Examples of these materials are organic polymers, metallorganic optical materials, and bio-molecular optical materials. These materials may be used for various non-linear optical and electroptical applications, principally in communications, information processing, memory/storage, and optical limiting. 

Organic compounds which show reversible color change by a photochemical reaction are potentially applicable to optical switching and/or memory materials. Azobenzenes and its derivatives are one of the most suitable candidates of photochemical switching molecular devices because of their well characterized photochromic behavior attributed to trans-cis photoisomerization reaction. Many works on photochromism of azobenzenes in monolayers LB films, and bilayer membranes, have been reported. Photochemical isomerization reaction of the azobenzene chromophore is well known to trigger phase transitions of liquid crystals [29-31]. Recently we have found the isothermal phase transition from the state VI to the state I of the cast film of CgAzoCioN+ Br induced by photoirradiation [32]. 

Phthalocyanines 244 and hemiporphyrins 245 and 246 are aromatic systems. Extended conjugation confers special properties to these molecules that make them building blocks for new molecular organic materials with useful electric and nonlinear optical applications (Scheme 85).288... 

It is clear that the combination of different architectures and the precise localization of functionalities within a single macromolecule provide unique opportunities for the control of molecular shape as well as molecular, optical, and electronic properties. A significant hurdle that still remains today is the relatively demanding multistep process used to prepare dendrons and hybrids. This, in turn, translates into limited availability but, as high added-value applications emerge, it is clear that current, as well as yet-to-be-developed, syntheses will be used to prepare specialty materials that benefit from the unique properties derived from the combination of dendritic and linear architectures. 

The low stability of the magnesium porphyrins has precluded most potential applications. Other metallotetrapyrroles have found industrial uses for oil desulfurization, as photoconducting agents in photocopiers, deodorants, germicides, optical computer disks, semiconductor devices, photovoltaic cells, optical and electrochemical sensing, and molecular electronic materials. A few scattered examples of the use of Mg porphyrins in nonlinear optical studies have appeared" and magnesium phthalocyanines have been used in a few studies as semiconductor or photovoltaic materials" " One of the few... 

During the past fifteen years, there has been an increasing interest in the NLO properties of organic and polymeric materials (7, 8). This has led to an increased effort aimed at the synthesis of molecular based materials with improved properties for NLO applications ). An important feature of the development of organic NLO materials is the attempt to control the primary NLO properties (the NLO susceptibilities or coefficients) and the secondary properties (solubility, processability, optical clarity, absorption, thermal stability, etc.) through molecular... 

The occurrence of two different structures that can be interconverted through the agency of an external light stimulus can be the basis of a molecular switch. Moreover, when photochromic molecules are incorporated into polymeric compounds, their photoisomerization can affect the structure and the physical properties of the attached macromolecules. Therefore, photochromic polymers may be highly promising materials for application in optical technologies, as well as in the design of photoswitchable devices. 

Ashwell, G.J. (1999) Langmuir-blodgett films Molecular engineering of noncentrosymmetric structures for second order nonlinear optical applications. Journal of Materials Chemistry, 9, 1991-2003. 

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