Unraveling the nonlinear optical behaviour of guanidinium (lS) – (+) – 10 – camphorsulfonate single crystal

Guanidine based single crystals have gained attention in the optoelectronic sector due to their excellent nonlinear behaviour towards high intense laser. Their hydrogen-bonded networks provide a strong nonlinear response which is significant for the crystals used in photonics. In this work, we report the synthesis and growth of guanidinium (lS) - (+) - 10 - camphorsulfonate (GCS) single crystals via slow evaporation solution method. Our experimental analysis encompassed Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to understand the existing functional groups within the compound. The dominant interactions observed in Hirshfeld surface are O···H and H···H, contributing 40.9 % and 50.5 %, respectively. Besides, it is demonstrated that the GCS crystal has unique optical characteristics, including a direct bandgap of 3.86 eV and a wide optical transparency of 40 %. Moreover, GCS exhibits a large thermal stability up to a temperature of 320 °C which makes it suitable for device usage at higher temperatures. Additionally, determining the third-order nonlinearity of the entitled crystal by computing the nonlinear absorption coefficient, β and nonlinear index of refraction, n₂ sheds light on the nonlinear characteristics of the crystal owing to its applicability as an optical limiter. Overall, the research opens up new possibilities for the synthesis and design of hydrogen-bonded guanidinium salts for the advancement of NLO applications.