Synthesis and optical properties of β-BaB2O4 network-like nanostructures

Network-like nanostructures made from the nonlinear optical material beta barium metaborate (beta-BaB2O4, beta-BBO) have been successfully synthesized from a BBO gel precursor by a sol-gel method. The homogeneous BBO gel precursor is prepared by the hydrolysis and condensation of barium acetate, sorbitol, and boric acid in a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG200) and water. We have also demonstrated that the morphology of the synthesized beta-BaB2O4 materials exerts a significant influence on the second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency. Importantly, the preparation and second-order nonlinear optical studies with different shapes will offer great opportunities to explore the dependence of a material's second-order nonlinear optical properties on its morphology and is essential for the manufacture of potential nanoscale optoelectronic and nonlinear optical devices. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007).