title: Versatile synthesis of small NLO-active molecules forming amorphous materials with spontaneous second-order NLO response.
abstract: A novel synthetic approach to a series of bulky triarylamines substituted by various electron-withdrawing groups and forming amorphous materials is presented. Under vacuum evaporation, thin films with high optical quality are obtained and exhibit spontaneous second-order nonlinear optical activity. This unprecedented result is likely due to subtle balance between strong dipole-dipole interactions and steric crowding causing self-assembly and noncentrosymmetric local ordering, stable up to one year.
authors.affiliation: ENS Cachan, PPSM (CNRS UMR 8531), 61 avenue du Président Wilson, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France. ishow2ppsm.ens-cachan.fr
authors.forename: Eléna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishow
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellaïche
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bouteiller
authors.forename: Keitaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Jacques A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Delaire