| Abstract: | To get a better understanding of the growth of cadmium mercury thiocyanate (CMTC), a promising nonlinear optical crystal, we have investigated the structures of its growth solutions by using Raman spectra. It has been found that Hg(II) ions coordinate with SCN‐ through S atoms, forming the most stable complex of [Hg(SCN)4]2‐ in the solutions while Cd(II) ions bind to SCN‐ around Hg(II) through the other end N atom. Thereby, taking [Hg(SCN)4]2‐ anions as centers, a network structure of Cd(II)‐N‐C‐S‐Hg(II) is formed in the solutions as in the crystal lattice. It is notably that there are other complexes, mostly the Cd(SCN)n (n < 4) complexes, in the solutions. Therefore, the solution structure of CMTC is complicated, which is believed to contribute greatly to the difficulty of growing large single crystals. Based on the analysis of the solution structures, the reasonable growth units of CMTC are proposed. |
