Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
During the past decade, there has been considerable effort in the design of new materials with greatly enhanced nonlinear absorption characteristics. In recent years, it has been shown that incorporation of bipolaronic charges in the pi-electron sequence in conjugated polymers or copolymers leads to enhanced third-order nonlinear optical properties. In this current study a design strategy for the synthesis of optical power limiting copolymers is presented whose properties are based on the photogeneration of stable bipolaron-like dications.