Synthesis, Growth, Photoluminescence, Thermal, and Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Glycine Methyl Ester Hydrochloride Single Crystal for Opto-Electronic Applications

Solvent evaporation was employed to grow an optical bulk single crystal of Glycine Methyl Ester Hydrochloride (GMEHCl), which was first reported in the literature. It crystallizes with the space group P2₁/c in a monoclinic system and was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. FT-IR analysis verified the various functional groups. Optical characteristics were evaluated using UV-Vis-NIR analysis, it was observed with an optical bandgap of 5.10 eV, and the cut-off wavelength was 230 nm. Photoluminescence analysis of the material reveals great structural perfection, supporting the suitability of the produced crystal for the emission of blue fluorescence. Thermal assessment disclosed that the compound was steady until 176 °C. Third-order nonlinear optical properties of glycine methyl ester hydrochloride were determined using the Z-scan approach. Third-order nonlinear properties β, n₂, and \({\upchi }^{3}\) ${\mathrm{\chi }}^3$ of GMEHCl were determined to be 1.37 × 10⁻⁴ cm/W, 3.37 × 10⁻⁹ cm²/W, and 3.56 × 10⁻⁶ esu, respectively. This result indicates that the crystal may have uses in various NLO and photonic device configurations.