Phenol red dyed bis thiourea cadmium acetate monocrystal growth and characterization for optoelectronic applications

Phenol red dyed bis thiourea cadmium acetate (BTCA) crystals of ∼30 × 10 × 6 mm dimension have been grown for the first time using the slow evaporation solution technique. Diffuse reflectance measurements show absorption bands at 363 and 563 nm in the doped crystal. Optical energy gap was calculated to be 4–5 eV. Photoluminescence spectra were recorded using 320 nm excitation source. The chemical etching study was done and etch pit density was found to be reduced from 4.5 × 103/cm2 (pure) to 3.0 × 102/cm2 (dyed). Mechanical strength is increased from 74.1 kg/mm2 for pure to 94.7 kg/mm2 for dyed crystals. The enriched properties of BTCA in the presence of dye suggest that the dyed crystals will be more applicable compared to pure crystals.