Combining Ti 4 (embonate) 6 anionic cages and π-conjugated coordination cations for highly effective optical limiting.

The integration of anionic Ti 4 L 6 (L = embonate) cages and π-conjugated coordination cations into ordered structures can produce high-performance nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. More specifically, by employing Ti 4 L 6 cages for assembly with mixed N , N -chelated and P , P -chelated type conjugated organic ligands and Ag + ions, three cage-based structures have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Among them, an ion pair structure with strong π-π accumulation exhibits a significant third-order NLO response, and an excellent optical limiting effect has been experimentally verified. This work provides a promising material for NLO applications.