Switchable nonlinear optical metallochromophores with pyridinium electron acceptor groups

Organotransition metal complexes have much to offer as nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores since they allow large hyperpolarizabilities to be combined with various other physical properties in an unparalleled diversity of molecular structures. This Account summarizes our synthetic chemistry driven investigations in the NLO research field, which have focused primarily on complexes of ruthenium, and to some extent iron. A number of fascinating discoveries are described, including the first demonstration of redox-induced switching of NLO behavior and chromophores which disobey the otherwise universal rule that elongation of polyene systems leads to continual increases in quadratic NLO responses.