Ethylenediaminium di(4-nitrophenolate): A third order NLO material for optical limiting applications

•Ethylenediaminium di(4-nitrophenolate) crystal was grown by slow evaporation method.•Structural, thermal and optical properties have been studied.•Third order NLO property of ED4NP has been reported for the first time.

Single crystals of ethylenediaminium di(4-nitrophenolate) [EDA4NP] were grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique using ethanol as solvent at constant temperature. It crystallizes in monoclinic centrosymmetric space group C2/c with cell dimension a = 11.326 Ǻ, b = 7.264 Ǻ, c = 20.036 Ǻ; β = 93.55°. Fourier Transform Infra Red (FT-IR) spectrum was recorded to identify various functional groups present in EDA4NP. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectral studies were performed to confirm the functional groups. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis showed that the compound melts at 142.9 °C. The material possesses a wide optical transparency window in the visible and near IR region (500–1200 nm). The nonlinear refractive index, nonlinear absorption coefficient and third-order nonlinear susceptibility of EDA4NP were estimated to be n2 = 5.46 × 10−8 cm2 W−1, β = 0.65 × 10−3 cm W−1 and χ(3) = 2.96 × 10−6 esu respectively. The limiting behavior observed with the sample is attributed mainly to nonlinear refraction.

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