Quadratic hyperpolarizabilities of nitro-substituted pseudo-linear dye molecules with ethylenic and azo bridges

Second-order hyperpolarizabilities (β) and gas-phase transition energies (E) of the para-disubstituted benzene, stilbene and azobenzene derivatives are calculated by the semi-empirical self-consistent-field molecular orbit (SCF MO) method in the Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) approximation using a sum-over-state's procedure with singly excited states. The calculated zero-frequency β (β⁰_VEC) values for all the derivatives are directly proportional to their 1/E² values. The usefulness of mixing ethylenic and azo bridges in long π-conjugated molecules is proposed in order to obtain large β values, by taking the difference between the electronic natures of these bridges into account. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.