The disclosure provides recording materials including aromatic substituted methane-core derivatized monomers and polymers for use in volume Bragg gratings, including, but not limited to, volume Bragg gratings for holography applications. Several structures are disclosed for monomers and polymers for use in Bragg gratings applications leading to materials with higher refractive index, low birefringence, and high transparency. The disclosed derivatized monomers and polymers thereof can be used in any volume Bragg gratings materials, including two-stage polymer materials where a matrix is cured in a first step, and then the volume Bragg grating is written by way of a second curing step of a monomer.