HgC4H4O6: A mercury tartrate exhibits phase matchable second harmonic generation effect

Abstract

Tartrate has been significant ligand for their ability to producing diverse chiral structures and hence the promising optical properties. A metal tartrate, HgC4H4O6, has been obtained via hydrothermal route. It crystallizes in an orthorhombic space group of P212121 and has the unique structure of {[Hg2O9.5]15−}∞ double chains gradually connected by the O atoms shared by [HgO7]12− unit. HgC4H4O6 exhibits a phase matchable second harmonic generation effect (SHG) about 0.54 times of KH2PO4 (KDP). Crystal structure analyses, optical performance measurements, and theoretical calculations of HgC4H4O6 were presented in this work.