Efficient Chromophore Design with PICT Coupled TICT: Computational Studies on Hyperpolarizabilities of Pyridinium Benzimidazolates.

Previously synthesized six selected Pyridinium‐Benzimidazolate based zwitterions were investigated in this contribution. Of the selected molecules, two are TICT, two are PICT (twisted and planar intramolecular charge transfer types respectively), and the other two are PICT+TICT types. Generally, TICT vs PICT is the most widely used strategy for chromophore design by earlier researchers. In this work, impacts of PICT+TICT effects (two effects combined in one chromophore), through p‐phenylene bridges, on various fundamental properties like, dipole moments, polarizabilities, hyperpolarizabilities, adiabatic excitations were analyzed. Nonlinear optical (NLO) responses of the six molecules indicate that PICT more efficient than TICT (6‐11‐times enhanced β), and PICT+TICT more efficient than both PICT (~4 times enhanced β) and TICT (20–40 times enhanced β). Current work also shows the role of aromatic p‐phenylene bridge as an efficient communicator between the donor and acceptor, in enhancing the NLO and other response properties. This work suggests that inducing bridge aromatic control to a TICT chromophore (making it to exhibit an amalgamation of PICT and TICT effects) is an effective and efficient strategy in the designing of molecular nonlinear optical chromophores, over either PICT or TICT only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]