Electro-optic dendrimer-based glass composites
A composite having electro-optic activity including a chromophore compound dispersed in a host material comprising a dendronized chromophore compound, methods for making the composite, and electro-optic devices including the composite.
1. A composite, comprising:
(a) a chromophore compound having a π-electron donor group electronically conjugated to a π-electron acceptor group through π-electron bridge group, the compound having the formula:
D 1 -π 1 -B 1 -π 2 -A 1
wherein D 1 is a π-electron donor group, B 1 is a π-electron bridge group, A 1 is a π-electron acceptor group, π 1 is a π bridge electronically conjugating D 1 to B 1 , π 2 is a π bridge electronically conjugating B 1 to A 1 , wherein π 1 and π 2 may each be present or absent; and
(b) a dendronized chromophore compound having a π-electron donor group electronically conjugated to a π-electron acceptor group through π-electron bridge group, the compound having the formula:
D 2 -π 3 -B 2 -π 4 -A 2
wherein D 2 is a π-electron donor group, B 2 is a π-electron bridge group, A 2 is a π-electron acceptor group, π 3 is a π bridge electronically conjugating D 2 to B 2 , π 3 is a π bridge electronically conjugating B 2 to A 2 , wherein π 3 and π 4 may each be present or absent, wherein one or more of the donor, bridge, or acceptor groups is substituted with a dendron;
and wherein D 1 and D 2 are the same or different, B 1 and B 2 are the same or different, A 1 and A 2 are the same or different, and π 1 , π 2 , π 3 , and π 4 are the same or different.
2. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the dendronized chromophore comprises a donor group substituted with a dendron.
3. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the dendronized chromophore comprises a multi-chromophoric dendrimer.
4. The composite of claim 3 , wherein the multi-chromophoric dendrimer comprises two chromophoric groups.
5. The composite of claim 3 , wherein the multi-chromophoric dendrimer comprises three chromophoric groups.
6. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the chromophore compound is present in an amount from about 10 to about 90 weight percent.
7. The composite of claim 1 having an r 33 value from about 50 to about 330 pm/V at 1.3 μm.
8. The composite of claim 7 , wherein the composite retains about 90% of its r 33 value after storage at room temperature for 500 hours.
9. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the dendronized chromophore comprises a bridge group substituted with a dendron.
10. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the dendronized chromophore comprises a donor group and a bridge group each substituted with a dendron.
11. An electro-optic device, comprising a composite comprising:
(a) a chromophore compound having a π-electron donor group electronically conjugated to a π-electron acceptor group through π-electron bridge group, the compound having the formula:
D 1 -π 1 -B 1 -π 2 -A 1
wherein D 1 is a π-electron donor group, B 1 is a π-electron bridge group, A 1 is a π-electron acceptor group, π 1 is a π bridge electronically conjugating D 1 to B 1 , π 2 is a π bridge electronically conjugating B 1 to A 1 , wherein π 1 and π 2 may each be present or absent; and
(b) a dendronized chromophore compound having a π-electron donor group electronically conjugated to a π-electron acceptor group through π-electron bridge group, the compound having the formula:
D 2 -π 3 -B 2 -π 4 -A 2
wherein D 2 is a π-electron donor group, B 2 is a π-electron bridge group, A 2 is a π-electron acceptor group, π 3 is a π bridge electronically conjugating D 2 to B 2 , π 3 is a π bridge electronically conjugating B 2 to A 2 , wherein π 3 and π 4 may each be present or absent, wherein one or more of the donor, bridge, or acceptor groups is substituted with a dendron;
and wherein D 1 and D 2 are the same or different, B 1 and B 2 are the same or different, A 1 and A 2 are the same or different, and π 1 , π 2 , π 3 , and π 4 are the same or different.
12. The electro-optic device of claim 11 , wherein the dendronized chromophore compound is covalently coupled to the chromophore compound.