Issue 8, 2023

Multi-stimuli responsive (l-tartrato)oxovanadium(v) complex salt with ferroelectric switching and thermistor properties

Abstract

Molecular materials that respond to external triggers and the environment by changing certain properties are currently a very active area of research and are being considered for use in devices. The responsiveness of these highly organized structures is the result of flexible structural arrangements, which in most cases are controlled by non-covalent interactions. Here, we report the exceptional structural flexibility of a complex salt with tetraethylammonium cations, (L-tartrato)oxovanadium(V) anions and water molecules of crystallization. This compound undergoes multiple crystal transformations from the undecahydrate phase to the dehydrated phase triggered by changes in humidity and temperature. The structural transformations are characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy at variable temperature and humidity and by thermal analysis. The dynamics of the structural transformations occurring in this tetraethylammonium (L-tartrato)oxovanadium(V) system indicates a low energy barrier for reversible release and uptake of water molecules from air. During these transformations, which occur over a very narrow temperature and humidity range, the compound changes from the non-polar P212121 structure to the polar P21, C2 and P2 structures. The structural transformations are accompanied by significant changes in the electrical behaviour of the material: from proton conductivity in the non-polar P212121 phase to ferroelectricity in the P21 phase at room temperature, and thermistor behaviour in the temperature range of 313–333 K. In addition, the optical properties of the material, which exhibits pleochroism and photoresponsive behaviour, were investigated using UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Graphical abstract: Multi-stimuli responsive (l-tartrato)oxovanadium(v) complex salt with ferroelectric switching and thermistor properties

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Nov 2022
Accepted
16 Jan 2023
First published
17 Jan 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023,11, 2880-2888

Multi-stimuli responsive (L-tartrato)oxovanadium(V) complex salt with ferroelectric switching and thermistor properties

M. Dunatov, A. Puškarić and L. Androš Dubraja, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023, 11, 2880 DOI: 10.1039/D2TC05064A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements