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Novel nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophore using benzo[b]furan moiety and trifluoromethyl-substituted tricyanofuran as the electron donor and acceptor respectively was designed and prepared. The structure of the novel chromophore was determined by NMR spectra, and the photophysical properties were studied via UV-vis spectra. The thermal decomposition temperature (T d)value of the obtained NLO chromophore reached to 212 °C, which endow the chromophore with good thermal stability during the materials processing. The nonlinearity of the chromophore was evaluated through theoretical calculation and electro-optic (EO) activity test, and the highest EO coefficient (r 33) was determined to 28 pm/V at the loading density of 25 wt% in polymethyl methacrylate. • Novel benzofuran-based nonlinear optical chromophore was designed and synthesized. • The acceptor was unexpected linked to the β -position of furan in the chromophore. • The present chromophore exhibited go0d thermal stability (T d reached to 212 °C). • The maximum EO coefficient of the reported chromophore reached to 28 p.m./V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel FTC-type NLO chromophore is designed to developing high performance EO material. • The obtained NLO chromophore possesses good film forming ability and obvious T g near 75 °C. • As EO molecular glass, the poled pure chromophore film displayed the r 33 value of 160 pm/V. To explore the simple strategy for developing excellent electro-optic (EO) materials, a monolithic EO molecular glass (EOMG1) based on thiophene π-conjugation and tricyanofuran acceptor (FTC) was synthesized. A tert -butyldiphenylsilyl (TBDPS) group was introduced to the FTC-based nonlinear optic (NLO) chromophore. The glass transition temperature (T g) of the amorphous films was near 75 ℃, confirmed EOMG1 's glassy state. The theoretical calculation shows that the first hyperpolarizability (β) and dipole moment (μ) of EOMG 1 were calculated to 584 × 10−30esu and 20.73 D. After poling, the poled films EOMG1 diplay large EO activity (r 33) of 160 pm/V at 1310 nm. The r 33 value is greatly enhanced compared to the reported side-chain EO polymer containing the similar FTC-type NLO chromophore due to the increased loading density of the pure chromophore films and the TBDPS group's role of effective isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]