Domain structure of β-glycine single crystals

Abstract

Recent studies of the simplest amino acid glycine (NH2CH2COOH) single crystals revealed that among three polymorphic phases α, β and γ formed at ambient conditions, only β-phase possesses both piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties [1]. The faceted crystals with in-plane polar axis were grown from aqueous solution via drop drying on Pt/SiO/Si substrate in air with controlled relative humidity. The detail experimental study of the neutral and charged domain walls in β-glycine microcrystals using atomic force (AFM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) was realized by scanning probe microscopes Ntegra Aura (NT-MDT, Russia) and Asylum MFP 3D SA (Asylum Research, USA).