Push-Pull-Type Polychlorotriphenylmethyl Radicals: New Two-Photon Absorbers and Dyes for Generation of Photo-Charges.

Tri(4-iodo-2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenyl)methane (2) is reported as a general building block for the synthesis of various π-conjugated polychlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM) radicals. Three push-pull-type triphenylamine-substituted PTM radicals with different substitution patterns were prepared and all exhibited intense inter-valence charge-transfer bands and large two-photon absorption (TPA) cross sections. Moreover, increase of solvent polarity also resulted in improved TPA response. The charge-transfer character of the relevant excited states provoked the efficient photo-generation of charges, anions in the PTM and cations in the amine arms, driven by the amphoteric redox character and the small coupling between donor and acceptor.