Growth and dielectric, mechanical, thermal and etching studies of an organic nonlinear optical l-arginine trifluoroacetate (LATF) single crystal

l-arginine trifluoroacetate, an organic nonlinear optical material, has been synthesized from aqueous solution. Bulk single crystal of dimension 57 mm × 5 mm × 3 mm has been grown by temperature lowering technique. Powder X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the monoclinic structure of the grown l-arginine trifluoroacetate crystal. Linear optical property of the grown crystal has been studied by UV–vis spectrum. Dielectric response of the l-arginine trifluoroacetate crystal was analysed for different frequencies and temperatures in detail. Microhardness study on the sample reveals that the crystal possesses relatively higher hardness compared to many organic crystals. Thermal analyses confirmed that the l-arginine trifluoroacetate material is thermally stable upto 212 °C. The etching studies have been performed to assess the perfection of the l-arginine trifluoroacetate crystal. Kurtz powder second harmonic generation test confirms the nonlinear optical properties of the as-grown l-arginine trifluoroacetate crystal.