| Abstract: | A new growth method, based on a vapour-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism, is reported for preparing single crystals of N-methylurea (NMU), a material which appears to be a good alternative to urea for non-linear optical applications in the “near UV-visible” region of the spectrum. Details of the growth procedure are given and it is shown that large single crystals, with volumes up to 7 ÷ 10 cm3, can be obtained with satisfactory reproducibility and very fast growth rate. Structural and optical characterisation, still preliminary, are reported, which evidence a crystalline quality comparable to that of urea and N-methylurea as previously grown with other growth techniques. Cryst. Res. Technol., Vol. 32, No. 1. |
