UV absorbing zwitterionic pyridinium-tetrazolate: exceptional transparency/optical nonlinearity trade-off

We present relevant results dealing with the transparency/optical nonlinearity trade-off in high-frequency electro-optic applications. The very simple, stable and high optical gap chromophore, the zwitterion 1-methyl-4-(tetrazol-5-ate)pyridinium, represents the best transparency/optical nonlinearity trade-off so far described in the literature. We rationalize this remarkable performance in the framework of the Bond Length Alternation theory by means of a multidisciplinary approach including: single crystal X-ray structure, Electric Field Induced Second-Harmonic Generation, solvatochromism, electrochemistry and thermal analyses.