Growth and characterization of a new organic nonlinear optical crystal: Vanillylideneaniline

Vanillylideneaniline with chemical formula C₁₄H₁₃NO₂ (VAN), a second order nonlinear optical (SONLO) organic single crystal was synthesized and grown for the first time from dimethyl formamide (DMF) employing slow solvent evaporation technique. Single crystal X-ray diffraction data reveals that the crystal belongs to noncentrosymmetric orthorhombic space group C222₁. The high-resolution diffraction curve containing single peak with full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 62 arc s ascertains VAN was perfectly crystallized and free from structural grain boundaries. The formation of the material was confirmed quantitatively by FTIR, ₁H¹ and ¹³C NMR spectral analyses. The UV–vis–NIR spectrum reveals the percentage of the transmission of VAN crystal in the entire region. The variations of dielectric constant (?_r) and dielectric loss (D) with frequency at different temperatures were investigated. The SHG of VAN crystal is confirmed by Kurtz Powder technique. The mechanical strength of the crystal was estimated by Vickers hardness test. VAN has yield strength of 8.70 MPa. Thus the grown organic VAN single crystal can be recommended as a promising candidate for SONLO application and device fabrication technology.