The polarizability and the second hyperpolarizability of tetrakis(phenylethynyl)ethene and several of its lithiated derivatives

The polarizability (α) and the second hyperpolarizability (γ) of tetrakis(phenylethynyl)ethene (TPEE) are compared and analyzed in connection with the properties (α, γ) of a series of selected/designed molecules having different conjugation patterns. Several lithiated derivatives of TPEE are designed and shown to have very enhanced second hyperpolarizabilities; for example, one of the lithiated TPEE has a 1.6×10³ times larger second hyperpolarizability than that of benzene. The potential of the proposed derivatives for applications in photonics is noted. The polarizabilities and the hyperpolarizabilities of the considered molecules have been computed employing the PM3 method which has been proven to be adequate for the present comparative study. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 72: 177–187, 1999