Growth and Characterization of a Nonlinear Optical Material: l-Histidine-Doped Imidazolinium l-Tartrate

Abstract

Imidazolinium l-tartrate (IMLT) crystals and l-histidine-doped IMLT crystals were grown by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. The powder x-ray diffraction technique confirms the lattice parameters and shifts in the peak positions attributed to the dopant l-histidine. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum reveals the assignments of characteristic bondings present in the grown crystals. The frequency-dependent dielectric constant and dielectric loss of pure and l-histidine-doped IMLT crystals have been investigated by the dielectric measurements. Doping has improved the optical parameters and was studied using UV–Vis-near infrared (NIR) spectral studies. The cut-off wavelengths of pure and 1 mol.% l-histidine-doped IMLT crystals were observed at 234 nm and 229 nm, respectively. The etching study examines the growth mechanism and surface morphology of the pure and l-histidine-doped IMLT crystals. The carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen (CHN) analysis conveys the percentage of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen elements present in pure and l-histidine-doped IMLT crystals. The consequences of doping l-histidine in IMLT single crystal and their dominance in various properties of the crystal grown in aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique have been explored.