Two-Photon Fluorescence Property and Ultrafast Dynamics of Two Dipolar Compounds with Dipicolinate as Electron Acceptor

Linear and nonlinear photophysical properties of two novel dipolar compounds named as trans-dimethyl-4-[4'-(N,N-dimethylamino)-styry1]-pyridin-2,6-dicarboxylate (Xiao-1) and trans-dimethyl-4-[4'-(N,N-diphenylamino)-styry1]-pyridin-2,6-dicarboxylate (Xiao-2) are investigated by steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, Z-scan and two-photon excited fluorescence measurements. Strong two-photon fluorescence emission and the pronounced positive solvatochromism are observed from two compounds. The two-photon absorption cross section of Xiao-2 is about 1.5 times larger than that of Xiao-1. One-color and two-color femtosecond pump-probe experiments are employed to investigate the excited state dynamics of two compounds. The relaxation lifetime of the intra-molecular charge transfer state is determined to be in the hundreds of picosecond domain for both the compounds in THF, and several tens of picosecond in DMSO solutions.