The third-order non-linear optical response of mesoionic compounds (MIC) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and methanol solutions was investigated by use of collinear pump and probe technique with chirp-controlled femtosecond pulses. The experiments allowed the investigation of non-instantaneous nuclear processes and thermal effects induced by two-photon absorption (TPA). We found that the nuclear non-linearity of MIC in DMSO is similar to 1/5 the benzene, which was used as a reference material. This result is attributed to the large inertia of MIC to rotation, compared to benzene. The results for MIC in methanol indicate the influence of thermal effects due to TPA. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.