A review of the relationship between the structure and nonlinear optical properties of organic-inorganic hybrid materials

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials have shown excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) properties in recent years and have received increasingly widespread attention. However, there is no comprehensive review of organic–inorganic hybrid NLO materials. In this review, organic–inorganic hybrid NLO materials containing main group metals (Pb, Sn, Bi, Sb, Ga, In, Ge, etc.), transition metals (Zn, Cd, Hg, Cu, Mn, etc.) and organic ions with planar π-conjugation groups ([C(NH2)3]+, (C5H6N)+, (C5H6ON)+, (C3N3O3)3−, (HxC6N7O3)(3−x)− etc.), are investigated. The relationship between the structure and their linear and second-order nonlinear optical properties is also systematically discussed to provide useful insights for the exploration of new organic–inorganic hybrid NLO materials with excellent comprehensive properties.