Synthesis, physicochemical and quantum chemical studies on a new organic NLO crystal: Cinnamoylproline

Abstract

Cinnamoylproline was synthesized and the crystal was grown from solution by the slow evaporation method. The crystal belongs to the trigonal crystal system with non-centrosymmetric space group P31. The calculated geometry and experimental geometry from single crystal X-ray data were compared. Intermolecular interactions were studied using Hirshfeld surface analysis and its real space functions were calculated using Atoms In Molecules (AIM) and its isosurfaces were visualized using Non-covalent interaction analysis. Optical transparency of the crystal was analyzed by UV–Vis analysis and it was found that the crystal has good optical transparency in the visible range and the lower cut-off wavelength was found to be 326 nm. In the photoluminescence spectrum, a broad emission peak at 369 nm was observed. The functional groups were analyzed using FTIR techniques and the vibrational frequencies from experimental and theoretical values were compared. It was inferred from the TG-DTA studies that the crystal was thermally stable up to 375 °C. Kurtz-Perry powder SHG analysis was also carried out with KDP as a reference. It showed that the crystal has 1.08 times greater efficiency than KDP. The first hyperpolarizability tensor of the molecule was calculated theoretically and theoretical second order susceptibility was obtained and compared with the experimental susceptibility.