Electronic engineering of a tetrathiafulvalene charge-transfer salt via reduced symmetry induced by combined substituents

Abstract

A 1 : 1 metallic charge-transfer salt is obtained by cosublimation of (Z,E)-(SMe)₂Me₂TTF and TCNQ. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the formation of segregated stacks comprising donor and acceptor molecules in [(E)-(SMe)₂Me₂TTF](TCNQ). The crystal packing features lateral S⋯S interactions between TTF stacks, which is in sharp contrast to that in (TTF)(TCNQ). Structural analysis and theoretical studies afford a partial charge-transfer (ρ ≈ 0.52), leading to a system with the electronic structure close to quarter-filled. Resistivity measurements reveal that this material behaves as a metal down to 56 K and 22 K at 1 bar and 14.9 kbar, respectively. The thermopower is negative in the metallic regime, indicating the dominant role of the acceptor stacks for the observed conducting behavior. Analysis of single-crystal EPR spectra shows the remaining spin susceptibility at 4.3 K, suggesting the importance of the Hubbard U correction. These results highlight the judicious engineering of electronic and geometrical effects on the TTF core; the combined use of methyl and thiomethyl groups has decreased the TCNQ bandwidth while maintaining the segregated stacks, converting the metal to insulator (M–I) transition to more 4k_F like. In addition, the enhanced S⋯S contacts between the TTF stacks lead to more rapidly decreasing M–I transition temperature under various pressures.