Spectral, thermal and optical properties of N, N′-Bis (4-chlorobenzylidene)-3, 3′-dimethoxybiphenyl-4, 4′-diamine

• Schiff base material CBMPA was synthesized by a condensation method.
• Formation of the compound was confirmed by NMR, FTIR and XRD techniques.
• Material melts at ~189 °C and exhibits single-stage weight loss.

One of the novel organic Schiff base materials, N,N′-Bis(4-chlorobenzylidene)-3,3′-dimethoxybiphenyl-4,4′-diamine (CBMPA), was synthesized and molecular structure of CBMPA was confirmed from nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis. Functional groups present in the compound were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermal studies show that the melting point of the material is at ~189 °C and it has a single-stage weight loss. Optical properties of CBMPA were studied using UV–vis–NIR and fluorescence spectral analyses. Optical nonlinearity of CBMPA was investigated at 532 nm using 5 ns laser pulses, employing an open aperture Z-scan technique. An optical limiting response which arises mostly from reverse saturable absorption was observed, and the effective two-photon absorption coefficient was calculated.