Synthesis of side-chain nonlinear optical polymers with carbazolylnitrostilbene chromophores

Two different carbazolylnitrostilbene chromophores with second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) activity were newly synthesized by the reaction of 9-(2-hydroxyethyl)-9H-carbazol-3-carbald with 4-nitrophenylacetonitrile or 4-nitrophenylacetic acid. The NLO monomers were obtained by reaction of these chromophores with methacryloyl chloride. The side-chain nonlinear optical polymers were synthesized by the copolymerization of NLO monomer with methylmethacrylate using a free radical initiator. The chemical structures of the polymers were identified by spectroscopic means and the polymer properties such as molecular weight, T-g, solubility, UV-visible absorption, and second-harmonic generation (SHG) coefficients were investigated.