Structural and optical characterization on solution grown methyl p-hydroxybenzoate single crystals

Abstract

The optical quality single crystals of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (p-MHB) have been successfully grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique at 33ºC. The grown single crystals have been characterized using different instrumen-tation methods. The structural perfection has been analysed by using high resolution X-ray diffractometry, which shows that the crystalline perfection is reasonably good except with two low angle internal structural boundaries. That may be due to entrap-ment of impurities and solvent molecules during growth. The crystal system is monoclinic with calculated lattice parameter values: a = 13.977 Å; b = 15.774 Å; c = 12.684 Å; ⍺ = ϒ = 90; β = 131.97. The presence of carbon molecules has been identi-fied from ¹³C NMR. The laser damage threshold and second har-monic generation efficiency have been studied. The second har-monic generation conversion efficiency ratio of p-MHB to KDP has been found to be around 1.29:1.