Crystal structure and characterization of a novel organic optical crystal: 2-Aminopyridinium trichloroacetate

[Display omitted] ► Good quality crystals of 2-aminopyridinium trichloroacetate were grown for first time. ► 2-Aminopyridinium trichloroacetate crystal belongs to monoclinic crystal system with space group P21/c. ► 2-Aminopyridinium trichloroacetate crystal exhibits third order nonlinear optical properties. ► 2-Aminopyridinium trichloroacetate is a low dielectric constant material. 2-Aminopyridinium trichloroacetate, a novel organic optical material has been synthesized and crystals were grown from aqueous solution employing the technique of controlled evaporation. 2-Aminopyridinium trichloroacetate crystallizes in monoclinic system with space group P2 1/c and the lattice parameters are a = 8.598(5) Å, b = 11.336(2) Å, c = 11.023(2) Å, β = 102.83(1)° and volume = 1047.5(3) Å 3. High-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements were performed to analyze the structural perfection of the grown crystals. Thermal analysis shows a sharp endothermic peak at 124 °C due to melting reaction of 2-aminopyridinium trichloroacetate. UV–vis–NIR studies reveal that 2-aminopyridinium trichloroacetate has UV cutoff wavelength at 354 nm. Dielectric studies show that dielectric constant and dielectric loss decreases with increasing frequency and finally it becomes almost a constant at higher frequencies for all temperatures. The negative nonlinear optical parameters of 2-aminopyridinium trichloroacetate were derived by the Z-scan technique.