Observation of Transition from Ferroelasticity to Ferroelectricity by Solvent Selective Effect in Anilinium Bromide. (3rd March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fu, Da‐Wei; Gao, Ji‐Xing; Huang, Pei‐Zhi; Ren, Rui‐Ying; Shao, Ting; Han, Li‐Jun; Liu, Jia; Gong, Jun‐Miao
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 133:Number 15(2021)
• Page Start: 8279
• Page End: 8283
• Publication Date: 2021-03-03
• Subjects: ferroelastics -- polarization switching -- regulation -- solvent effect; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.202015219
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: Organic ferroelectrics are highly desirable for their light weight, mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility. However, the rational design of organic ferroelectrics has always faced great challenges. Anilinium bromide (AB) has two structures reported in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, which might be an mmm F2/ m type ferroelastic (AB‐1). When we studied its ferroelasticity, we were surprised to discover that there was another crystal (AB‐2) in H2 O besides this one, and they were very difficult to separate. By changing the solvent, we found that AB‐1 crystals could be formed in ethanol, where ferroelastic domains were visualized by polarized light microscopy, and AB‐2 crystals could be obtained from various crystallization solvents of methanol, isopropanol, N ‐butanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N, N ‐dimethylformamide, which undergo a ferroelectric phase transition with mm 2F m, showing clear ferroelectricity in two phases. To our knowledge, the regulation of ferroelasticity to ferroelectricity by solvent selective effect is unprecedented in the field of ferroelectrics. This work reveals the important role of solvent effect in organic ferroelectrics. Abstract : A solvent selective effect for the regulation of ferroelasticity and ferroelectricity of anilinium bromide is described, which is unprecedented in organic molecular ferroelectrics. Two forms of crystal structure were obtained from different crystallization solvents: ferroelastic AB‐1 and ferroelectric AB‐2. Atom key: Br (green), N (blue), H (light blue), C (gray).