A new series of second-order nonlinear optical chromophores has been synthesized that consists of a conjugated segment end-capped with an electron acceptor and an electron donor, respectively, and a central spacer intended to modulate the electro-optical effect. Conjugated chains have been tailored with trans-vinylene-1, 5-thienylene as the building unit and N, N-dimethylamino and nitro groups as the donor–acceptor pair. Four spacers ...