Issue 46, 2021

Zn(NH3)CO3: a “three-in-one” UV nonlinear optical crystal built by a polar molecule bonding strategy

Abstract

Noncentrosymmetric (NCS) crystals are of great interest because of their functions, such as nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, but their syntheses are still difficult. Remarkably, polar inorganic molecules often have a “Midas touch” in the process of the crystallization of NCS structures. Zn(NH3)CO3 has a “three-in-one” NLO-active motif which includes a polar NH3 molecule, polar displaced Zn2+, and π-conjugated CO32− ions. Zn(NH3)CO3 shows a second harmonic generation (SHG) response of 1.5× KH2PO4, a short UV cut-off edge of 204 nm, suitable birefringence (0.087 at 546 nm), a short SHG phase-matching wavelength (shortest λPM = 217 nm), a high laser damage threshold (LDT) (126.3 MW cm−2), and good stability. Meanwhile, Zn(NH3)CO3 with a structure like a Chinese knot has excellent crystal growth that makes it easy to obtain centimeter sized blocky crystals. For the first time, ZnO3(NH3) is used as a new NLO-active motif to explore the formation of NCS zinc carbonate. This research sheds new light on polar molecule bonding strategies to build desired NCS structures, and it reveals for the first time ammine complexes for use as new UV NLO crystals with a bright future.

Graphical abstract: Zn(NH3)CO3: a “three-in-one” UV nonlinear optical crystal built by a polar molecule bonding strategy

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 oct. 2021
Accepted
28 oct. 2021
First published
29 oct. 2021

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021,9, 16477-16484

Zn(NH3)CO3: a “three-in-one” UV nonlinear optical crystal built by a polar molecule bonding strategy

H. Tang, Q. Shui, R. Fu, Z. Zhou, W. Bao, Z. Ma and X. Wu, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 16477 DOI: 10.1039/D1TC04846E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements