Growth and study of piperazine-doped succinic acid single crystals for NLO applications

Single crystals of piperazine-doped succinic acid (PSA) were grown and harvested successfully at room temperature through the slow-evaporation technique. Powder X-ray diffraction and single-crystal X-ray diffraction were carried out to confirm the phase and crystal structure, and it was found that the crystals belong to the orthorhombic system with space group P222. The vibrational frequencies assigned from Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis confirm the presence of various functional groups. The transmittance and absorbance of electromagnetic radiation were studied through ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared analysis. The cut-off wavelength and energy bandgap values were found to be 255 nm and 4.82 eV, respectively. Measurement of the dielectric permittivity (dr) and dielectric loss (tan c) of the compound was also carried out as a function of frequency to understand the electrical response. The impedance analysis indicated that the grown PSA single crystals have a negative temperature coefficient resistance nature. Thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis/differential scanning calorimetry analysis was used to investigate thermal stability, and it was found that the grown crystals are stable up to 228 degrees C. The mechanical strength and third-order non-linear optical (NLO) susceptibility of the grown crystal were measured by using the Vickers microhardness test and Z-scan technique, respectively. The third-order NLO parameters were derived by Z-scan analysis.