"Push-no-pull" porphyrins for second harmonic generation imaging

The established approach to design a molecule with strong second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) activity is to connect an electron-donor to an electron-acceptor via a π-conjugated bridge, to generate push-pull system. Surprisingly, we have found that dyes with large first hyperpolarizabilities, and which exhibit strong second harmonic generation (SHG), can be created just by attaching an electron-donor to a porphyrin. The free-base porphyrin core is sufficiently electron-deficient that the hyperpolarizability does not increase on addition of a pyridinium electron-acceptor. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry