Growth and characterization of metal ions doped l-serine NLO single crystals for optoelectronic applications

Single crystals of pure and metal ions (K+, Na+ and Li+) doped l-serine have been grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique (SEST). Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) prove the incorporation of metal ions into the doped crystals. The lattice parameters have been obtained from single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The presence of functional groups is identified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and FT-RAMAN analyses. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) reveal that the thermal stability of lithium doped l-serine crystal is enhanced. The mechanical properties have been studied by vicker's microhardness test. UV–vis-NIR spectroscopy shows that the percentage of transmission is increased in lithium doped l-serine crystals. Potassium and lithium ions doped l-serine crystals have enhanced second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency indicating that these crystals are potential candidates for non linear optical (NLO) applications.