Growth aspects and characteristic properties of L-ascorbic acid single crystal: potential candidate for nonlinear optical applications

L-ascorbic acid well known as vitamin C is essential for living organism whether it is plants, animals or human. It is a ketolactone along with four hydroxyl group. The solubility of the titled material in water is high due to the presence of hydroxyl group which leads to hydrogen bonding with water and shows nonlinear optical properties. In the present work, single crystal of given material harvested by slow evaporation solution technique is reported. Structural characterization of titled material was performed using powder X-ray diffraction and high-resolution X-ray diffraction techniques, and it is observed that its unit cell dimensions are well in accordance with the literature with good crystallinity. Optical performance of grown ingot was evaluated utilizing UV-Vis, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Z-scan and laser damage threshold studies which show that it possesses fairly good transmission and resistance to laser damage. Functional groups present in the titled material were identified using Raman spectroscopy. Surface morphology and mechanical strength of titled crystal was assessed using chemical etching and shock damage threshold technique. Observed results indicate that the crystal of titled material is a potential candidate for nonlinear optical applications.

Automated summary

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is essential for living organisms. It has high water solubility and nonlinear optical properties. Single crystal of the titled material was grown using slow evaporation solution technique. The crystal's structure was characterized and found to be in accordance with literature with good crystallinity. Optical performance, functional groups, surface morphology, and mechanical strength of the crystal were evaluated, indicating its potential for nonlinear optical applications.