Conjugated push-pull salts derived from linear benzobisthiazole: preparation and optical properties

A series of novel monomethylated salts derived from linear benzobisthiazole was prepared. The push-pull attributes of these new compounds are represented by a quaternised azolium cycle as the acceptor part at one end of the structure and the dialkylamino- or diarylamino-substituted benzene ring as the donor part at the opposite end. Both moieties are connected by a conjugated linker consisting of one or two double bonds. Such dipolar structures are promising candidates for non-linear optical materials. The quantum-chemical indices describing linear and non-linear optical properties were obtained from semi-empirical calculations. The relationships between the chemical structure and non-linear optical properties of the cations studied were obtained. Effective conjugation was confirmed by measuring the optical properties in the UV-VIS region.