Alkali P-Nitrophenolates for Short Wavelength Laser Generation

Abstract

Single crystals of alkali p-Nitrophenolates namely sodium p-nitrophenolate dihydrate (SPNP), potassium p-nitrophenolate monohydrate (PPNP) and lithium p-nitrophenolate trihydrate (LPNP) using Group I elements (Na, K, Li) and p-nitrophenols were grown by solvent evaporation method. Single crystal XRD analysis shows that SPNP and LPNP crystallize in noncentrosymmetric space group while PPNP is centrosymmetric. Using Autox software, all the peaks in the recorded powder XRD spectrum of the samples were identified and indexed. The FT -IR spectra of the sample reveals the characteristic vibrations of the functional groups present in alkalinitrophenolates. A weak absorption band around the region 1589-1641 cm -1 confirms the presence of the phenolic ring. A broad intermolecular hydrogen bonded OH stretching at 3325 cm -1 of p-nitrophenol is shifted which shows the increase in the polarizable nature of p-nitrophenol and thus easily forms a metal (sodium/ potassium/ lithium) coordination compound. UV-Vis spectrum shows that all the crystals are transparent above 400 nm and has a wide optical window in the visible region. Intense absorption peak in the UV region may be due to the colored nature of the compound. Addition of metal ion (sodium/potassium) modifies the optical transparency of the original molecule (p-nitro phenol) and consequently introduces a bath chromic shift of 90/40 nm in the crystal transparency of the samples. Kurtz powder technique result shows that the relative SHG efficiency of SPNP and LPNP was nearly 5 and 9.25 times of KDP.