Optical and mechanical studies on unidirectional grown tri-nitrophenol methyl p-hydroxybenzoate bulk single crystal

The bulk single crystal of tri-nitrophenol methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (TNMPHB) of length 90 mm and diameter 12 mm was obtained by employing unidirectional growth technique. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies and powder XRD analysis have been carried out to confirm the identity of the crystal. The optical band gap of the grown crystal was calculated to be 4.91 eV from UV transmission spectrum. The mechanical strength of the grown crystal has been studied using Vicker's microhardness tester. Low dielectric loss shows that the grown crystal contains lesser defects authenticating the suitability of the crystal towards device applications. The surface morphology studies have been carried out on the grown crystal. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.