Optical, mechanical and thermal characterization of l-threonine single crystals grown in dimethyl urea solution

An organic material of a noncentrosymmetric l-threonine single crystal was grown in a dimethyl urea solution using the slow evaporation method. The grown crystal was transparent and colorless, with a size of about 20 × 7 × 4 mm3, obtained within a period of 10 days. The grown crystal was subjected to various studies, such as x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), microhardness, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) transmittance, thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA) and second harmonic generation (SHG). l-threonine crystals grown in a dimethyl urea solution show relative SHG efficiency of 0.92 times that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate. The functional groups of the crystals have been confirmed by FTIR analysis. The mechanical strength of the crystal was estimated by the Vickers hardness test. The lattice parameters of the grown crystal were determined by single crystal XRD and powder XRD studies, and the diffraction peaks were indexed. A UV–Vis spectrum was recorded in the wavelength range of 200–1100 nm to find the suitability of the crystal for nonlinear optical applications. The thermal stability of l-threonine crystal grown in dimethyl urea was checked using the TGA/DTA analysis. (paper)