A novel series of photobase generators (PBGs), which are quaternary ammonium salts of phenylglyoxylic acid (PA) having the ability to generate strong bases such as 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN) or 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMG), was synthesized.

Noncentrosymmetric molecules with a π-conjugated system and, among them, push-pull molecules such as pyridinium phenoxide, are a promising new class of materials for applications in optoelectronics due to their nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. Modelling studies have indicated that an increase in the twist angle between the two aromatic rings leads to an enhancement of the NLO properties. In order to

A one step method for the fabrication of silver nanoparticle-embedded polymer is detailed from the mechanistic aspects to the structural analysis of the material. A 2,7-diaminofluorene derivative is employed both as a photoreductant agent of silver precursors and as a free radical photoinitiator to produce silver nanoparticles in a poly(ethylene glycol) matrix at the same time. Each photophysical mechanism is separately investigated and quantified by steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy. The analysis confirms the key role the dye radical cation in the photopolymerization. Moreover, the addition of an amine co-initiator induces a clear acceleration of the photopolymerization rate and leads to a new distinctive mechanism. As a consequence, the morphology of the resultant silver nanocomposite exhibits different size distributions characterized by transmission electron microscopy. This structural observation was also correlated by an unexpected metal-enhancement fluorescence process arising from residual dyes entrapped in the metal-polymer.