Research News: Photoelectric Functional Crystal Team of the College of Chemistry and Materials Science Publishes Latest Advances in Nonlinear Optical Crystal Materials in Coordination Chemistry Reviews

The Photoelectric Functional Crystal Team at the College of Chemistry and Materials Science has recently published a review article entitled “Borophosphate-based second-order nonlinear optical materials: Advances in structural diversity and optical performance” (2027, 570, 218541) in the journal Coordination Chemistry Reviews. The article summarizes the crystal structural diversity of borophosphates (BPOs) and the latest advances in their application as second-order nonlinear optical materials. Hebei University is the sole corresponding institution of the paper. Zhao Bo and Li Yaozu, master's students at the College, are co-first authors; Research Fellow Wang Ying is the corresponding author, and Associate Professor Zhang Bingbing is the co-corresponding author.

Nonlinear optical crystals are indispensable core materials in the fields of solid-state lasers and photonics, and there is an urgent application demand for them in quantum communication, deep-ultraviolet lithography, and high-resolution spectroscopy. Among emerging inorganic crystal systems, borophosphates display remarkable structural diversity owing to the rich and varied coordination behavior of boron–oxygen and phosphorus–oxygen groups, which offers a distinctive opportunity for the design and development of high-performance nonlinear optical materials. By systematically analyzing more than 270 reported borophosphate structures, with a focus on more than 50 non-centrosymmetric crystalline materials, the article constructs a comprehensive coordination chemistry framework that organically links the composition and crystal structures of borophosphates with their nonlinear optical properties. The review focuses on the structure-directing role of the B:P ratio, the coordination environments and connection modes of boron–oxygen and phosphorus–oxygen groups, and the structure–property relationships between these structural factors and birefringence, transparency, and second-order nonlinear optical performance. The review is the first comprehensive overview of the rapidly emerging boron-rich borophosphates; it also reveals the structural origin of their excellent ultraviolet/deep-ultraviolet optical performance and highlights their potential as a new platform for deep-ultraviolet nonlinear optical materials. On this basis, the article further proposes three rational design strategies, providing a forward-looking roadmap for research on next-generation ultraviolet/deep-ultraviolet nonlinear optical crystal materials.

Founded in 1966, Coordination Chemistry Reviews is a highly influential international top-tier review journal in the field of inorganic and coordination chemistry, with a latest impact factor of 25.6.

Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2026.218541