Crystal Growth and Structure of Novel Tolane Nonlinear Optical Materials

A novel tolane 4-methoxy-4'-nitro-diphenyl-acetylene (MONA) has been prepared quantitatively by reacting cuprous p-methoxy phenyl-acetylene with p-iodonitrobenzene. A single crystal of the Moan was grown by solution growth method. The crystal was then characterized by X-ray diffraction structure analysis and second-harmonic generation(SHG)investigation. Polymorphous crystal forms of the MONA were grown from different solvents having different nonlinear optical properties depending on their different crystal structures. The relationship between the crystal growth and crystal structure is discusse.