The single crystal growth of 4-aminobenzophenone (4ABP), a good nonlinear optical material, from the melt using nanoresolution translation by the Bridgman technique is reported. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that 4ABP crystallizes in monoclinic system. Using the differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique, 4ABP has been studied. The melting point and solidification temperature of 4ABP were determined. Fourier transform infrared spectra were used to assign various modes and identify the functional groups present in the crystal. The 4ABP crystal was characterized by UV-vis-NIR spectra. The optical band gap (E-g), absorption coefficient (alpha) and refractive index (n) were also calculated as a function of energy. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the specimen were also studied. The second harmonic generation efficiency of 4ABP was determined using the Kurtz powder technique. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.