Synthesis, growth, spectral, electrical, mechanical and thermal characterization of a potential optical material: γ-glycine single crystal

Gamma glycine, an organic material was grown by slow solvent evaporation method. Conventional polythermal method was employed in the temperature range, 30-50 degrees C to obtain the solubility and the metastable zonewidth. The crystal and molecular structures were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction, FT-IR and FT-Raman spectral studies. Optical refractive index was determined by prism coupling technique and was found to be 1.4488. Electrical properties such as ac conductivity and activation energy were studied for different temperatures in the frequency range from 40 Hz to 6 MHz. The dc electrical conductivity was estimated from the Cole-Cole plot and the values were found to be 2.19 x 10(-6) Sm-1 at 353K and 1.46 x 10(-6) Sm-1 at 373K respectively. Mechanical studies on the grown crystal revealed that the material belongs to soft materials category. Thermal conductivity and specific heat capacities were estimated by Hot Disk Thermal Constants Analyzer.