The influence of sigma and pi acceptors on two-photon absorption and solvatochromism of dipolar and quadrupolar unsaturated organic compounds.

Two-photon absorption cross sections delta and solvatochromic properties were determined for a series of quadrupolar and dipolar compounds by using femtosecond excitation in the spectral range between 710 and 960 nm. The compounds investigated were distyrylbenzenes and polyenes bearing appropriate pi or sigma acceptors. The delta values for the centrosymmetric compounds trans, trans- 1,4-bis[2-(2',5'-dihexyloxy)phenylethenyl]-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene (6), trans, trans-1,4-bis[2-(4'-dibutylamino)phenylethenyl]- 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene (2), trans, trans-1,4-bis[2-(4'dimethylamino)phenylbutadienyl]- 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzene (7), trans,-trans-1,4-bis[2-(4'-dimethylamino)phenylethenyl]2,5…