Crystal structure and two-photon absorption properties study of a new zinc complex constructed by DMIT ligand

•A new zinc complex has been synthesized.•Its crystal structure has been determined.•Its two-photon absorption properties have been studied.

A new zinc complex bis(benzyltriethylammonium) bis(1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolato)-zinc(II) has been synthesized, its crystal structure has been determined by means of X-ray single crystal diffraction. The central zinc(II) ion coordinates with two ligands which constructed a distorted tetrahedron environment, cation groups and ligands link each other through weak intermolecular C–H⋯S hydrogen bonds. Its two-photon absorption properties has been studied using open aperture Z-scan technique with 14 ps pulses at wavelength 532 nm, its two-photon absorption cross section σ2 value was determined to be 8.73 × 10−53 (m4·s/photon·molecule). The theoretical mechanism of the two-photon absorption process was analysized by simplied five-energy-band model.