This review analyzes the nonlinear optical properties of different types of D-π-A push–pull twisted organic chromophores. By optimizing the twisting angle, increasing the donor and acceptor strengths, and optimizing the conjugated bridges, intramolecular charge transfer can be facilitated to enhance the nonlinear optical performance.

Organic nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with strong light-responsive properties have garnered significant attention in the field of optoelectronics due to their chemical tunability and cost-effective synthesis. Enhancing the NLO performance of these materials is essential to meet the growing demands in applications such as optical modulation and communication. Interestingly, twisted structures have been shown to alter NLO properties, offering a novel design approach. This review systematically examines recent advances in twisted D-π-A type organic chromophores for enhancing NLO performance, with a particular focus on the key mechanisms of molecular structure design and performance optimization. It provides a detailed discussion of the design strategies aimed at improving the NLO performance of twisted organic chromophores, highlighting the significance of twisted structures and electronic group design. The literature review indicates that optimizing twist angles, strengthening donor and acceptor group intensities, and optimizing π-conjugated bridges are effective ways to enhance NLO performance.