The preparation and characterization of organically modified silicates that exhibit nonlinear optical properties

An organically modified silane sol-gel was prepared by the hydrolysis and condensation of N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)-4'nitroaniline and trimethoxysilane in N,N-dimethylacetamide using a non-ionic organic base catalyst. The effects of co-monomers and the silicate concentration on the viscosity of the sol-gel and the thermal stability of the resulting films were investigated. When the sol was spin-coated and aligned by corona discharge poling with heating, the resulting vitrified silane films exhibited a second harmonic response, d₃₃= 13 pm V. The effect of concentration and co-monomer ratio on the sol-gel and the properties of the film are discussed.