Optical nonlinearity in organic and organometallic molecules via lattice inclusion complexation

Claim 1

A nonlinear optical element capable of second harmonic generation, comprising a crystalline inclusion complex of a lattice-forming host compound crystallized with continuous channel cavities in the presence of a nonlinearly polarizable guest compound in a noncentrosymmetric space group, said guest compound (i) being nonlinearly polarizable in the presence of an electromagnetic field, and (ii) having a molecular width, W, such that D/2<W<D, where D is the diameter of the channel cavity; wherein (A) the lattice-forming host compound is selected from the group consisting of (a) Hofmann clathrate lattice compounds having the formula M 1 (NH 3 ) 2 Ni(CN) 4 wherein M 1 is Mn, Ni, Cu or Cd; (b) Werner coordination complexes having the formula M 2 X 2 A 4 wherein M 2 is divalent and is Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, Hg or Cr; X is NCS - , NCO - , CN - , NO 3 - , NO 2 - , Cl 31 , Br - , or I - ; and A is substituted pyridine, α-arylalkylamine or isoquinoline; (c) cyclophosphazenes; (d) tris-ortho-thymotide; (e) urea, thiourea and selenourea; (f) phenols, hydroquinones and Dianin's compound; (g) perhydrotriphenylene; (h) cyclotriveratrylene; (i) trianthranilides; and (j) deoxycholic acid; and (B) the guest compound is selected from the group consisting of (a) substituted aromatic compounds of the formula ##STR2## wherein A is C or N; R 1 is --NH 2 , --NHCH 3 , --N(CH 3 ) 2 , or --C(O)M(CO) x where M is Mn or Re and x is 5 or M is Co and x is 4; R 2 is --NO 2 , --CN, (CH═CH) n C(O)H where n is 1 to 3, or 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-vinyl-4H-pyran; and Y is --H, --CH 3 , --OCH 3 , --OH, --F or Cl; and (b) octahedrally coordinated transition metal complexes having a -bonded ligand and having the formula [L.sup.1 M.sup.3 L.sup.2.sub.m ].sup.p wherein M 3 is Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Rh or Ir; L 1 is an olefinic or aromatic ligand capable of -bonding to M 3 to form a part of an octahedral complex; each L 2 is independently an unidentate ligand; m is 1-3; and p is -1, 0 or +1; with the provisos that said inclusion complex is other than a complex of thiourea and benzene molybdenum tricarbonyl or a complex of tris-ortho-thymotide and stilbene chromium tricarbonyl, and when said nonlinear optical element is a single crystal, it is other than an inclusion complex of thiourea and cyclopentadienylmanganese tricarbonyl.