Synthesis and Crystal Structure of a Novel Organic Ion-Complex Crystal for Second-Order Nonlinear Optics

Abstract

The novel organic ion-complex crystal composed of protonated merocyanine and p-toluenesulfonate anion, i.e., 1-methyl-4-(2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)vinyl)pyridinium 4-toluenesulfonate (MC-PTS), was synthesized for second-order nonlinear optics. Crystal structure analysis revealed that MC-PTS crystallized in the space group of P1, i.e., the most desired space group for waveguide applications where molecular dipoles are perfectly aligned in one direction. It was also pointed out that the tetrahedral sulfonate anion plays the role of a chiral handle to give noncentrosymmetric space groups.