Crystal growth and physicochemical characterization of urea doped 4-methoxyaniline (U-4MOA) single crystals for NLO and antimicrobial applications

Abstract

The single crystals of 4-methoxyaniline doped with urea (U-4MOA) were grown by slow evaporation method. The crystal structure of the U-4MOA was determined to be orthorombic using single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) investigation. The existence of functional groups was substantiated by FT-IR spectrum. The percentage of elements contained in the grown crystal was estimated using EDAX analysis. The surface studies by scanning electron microscopy reveals the formation of interlaced pattern in U-4MOA crystal. Thermal properties of U-4MOA were determined by TGA and DTA methods and it melts at 69°C. The UV-visible study discloses the transparency of the grown crystal throughout visible region. Fluorescence spectrum of U-4MOA shows an emission band at 663 nm. The mechanical properties of U-4MOA were determined from Vickers's hardness testing. The electrical properties of the U-4MOA crystal were investigated using impedance analysis. SHG efficiency of U-4MOA was spotted to be 1.71 times greater than KDP. Z-scan analysis revealed that U-4MOA has a large third order NLO susceptibility. The antimicrobial activity of the grown U-4MOA sample was performed against certain pathogens for medicament applications. In addition, the crystal packing and intermolecular interconnection were determined using Hirshfeld surface analysis.