Diorganotin Compounds with Nonlinear Optical Properties

The quadratic order nonlinear optical properties of diorganotin compounds will be discussed and compared with their “push-pull” boron analogues.  In  all instances, the tin compounds adopt a pentacoordinate geometry that provides more planar molecular structures and thus better delocalization of the  system, leading to an optimization of the charge transfer behavior, and finally to enhanced β values. Also for a series of chiral (salicylaldiminato)tin Schiff  base complexes possessing similar electronic spectra and hence molecular hyperpolarizabilities (β), the intriguing issue of a possible quantification of chirality by means of SHG measurement is addressed.  Finally  a set of  hexacoordinated organotin compounds derived from  tetradentate salen ligands were synthesized and characterized  to investigate their NLO properties.