Thiazole based novel functional colorants: Synthesis, characterization and nonlinear optical studies using picosecond Z-scan technique

Organic push-pull chromophoric system containing thiazole Schiff bases were synthesized from aminothiazole intermediate. These novel chromophores possessed excellent thermal and optical properties with complete transparency in the visible spectral region. Thermogravimetric analysis. revealed that all dyes were thermally stable at temperatures above 300 degrees C. The third-order nonlinear optical studies, performed using the Z-scan technique with similar to 2 ps pulses, revealed excellent three photon absorption coefficients/cross-sections combined with reasonably high values of nonlinear refractive index (n(2)). The solute n(2) was of opposite sign compared to that of solvents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of three-photon absorption studies in Schiff base compounds. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.