Synthesis, nonlinear optical properties and the possible mechanism of photopolymerization of two new two-photon absorption chromophores

Efficient Witting and Pd-catalyzed Heck coupling methodologies are employed to synthesize two new two-photon free-radical photopolymerization initiators 9-ethyl-3-{2-[4-(2-pyridin-4-yl-vinyl)-phenyl]-vinyl}-9H-carbazole (abbreviated to EPVPC) and 9-octadecyl-3-{2-[4-(2-pyridin-4-yl-vinyl)-phenyl]-vinyl}-9H-carbazole (abbreviated to OPVPC). The experimental results confirm that the two compounds are good two-photon absorbing chromophores and operative two-photon photopolymerization initiators. The calculated two-photon absorption cross-sections of EPVPC and OPVPC are 56.6 and 62.0×10⁻⁵⁰ cm⁴ s photon⁻¹, respectively. A microstructure by using EPVPC as initiator has been fabricated under irradiation of 200 fs, 76 MHz Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser at 780 nm. The possible mechanism of photopolymerization is discussed.