Ferroelectric Metal–Organic Frameworks

Solid-state reversible quadratic nonlinear optical molecular switch with an exceptionally large contrast

Exceptional nonlinear optical (NLO) switching behavior, including an extremely large contrast (on/off) of ∼35 and high NLO coefficients, is displayed by a solid-state reversible quadratic NLO switch. The favorable results, induced by very fast molecular motion and anionic ordering, provides impetus for the design of a novel second-harmonic-generation switch involving molecular motion.

Bis{tris[(1H-benzimidazol-3-ium-2-yl)methyl]amine} tetraaquaocta-μ₂-chlorido-octachloridopentacadmate(II) monohydrate

The title compound, (C₂₄H₂₄N₇)₂[Cd₅Cl₁₆(H₂O)₄]·H₂O, contains a [Cd₅Cl₁₆(H₂O)₄]⁶⁻ anion, two triply protonated tris[(1H-benzimidazol-3-ium-2-yl)methyl]amine cations and one solvent water molecule. The structure of the anion is a novel chloride-bridged pentanuclear cluster. The five unique CdII centres have quite different coordination environments. Two of the central hexacoordinated CdII cations have a CdOCl₅ chromophore, in which each CdII cation is ligated by four bridging chloride ligands, one terminal chloride ligand and one water molecule, adopting a distorted octahedral environment. The third central CdII cation is octahedrally coordinated by four bridging chloride ligands and two water molecules. Finally, the two terminal CdII cations are pentacoordinated by two bridging and three terminal chloride ligands and adopt a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. A three-dimensional supramolecular network is formed through intra- and intermolecular O-H∙∙∙O, O-H∙∙∙Cl, N-H∙∙∙Cl and N-H∙∙∙O hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions between the cations and anions.

Absorption of CO2 and CS2 into the Hofmann-type porous coordination polymer: electrostatic versus dispersion interactions

Absorption of CO2 and CS2 molecules into the Hofmann-type three-dimensional porous coordination polymer (PCP) {Fe(Pz)[Pt(CN)4]}n (Pz = pyrazine) was theoretically explored with the ONIOM(MP2.5 or SCS-MP2:DFT) method, where the M06-2X functional was employed in the DFT calculations. The binding energies of CS2 and CO2 were evaluated to be -17.3 and -5.2 kcal mol(-1), respectively, at the ONIOM(MP2.5:M06-2X) level and -16.9 and -4.4 kcal mol(-1) at the ONIOM(SCS-MP2:M06-2X) level. It is concluded that CS2 is strongly absorbed in this PCP but CO2 is only weakly absorbed. The absorption positions of these two molecules are completely different: CO2 is located between two Pt atoms, whereas one S atom of CS2 is located between two Pz ligands and the other S atom is between two Pt atoms. The optimized position of CS2 agrees with the experimentally reported X-ray structure. To elucidate the reasons for these differences, we performed an energy decomposition analysis and found that (i) both the large binding energy and the absorption position of CS2 arise from a large dispersion interaction between CS2 and the PCP, (ii) the absorption position of CO2 is mainly determined by the electrostatic interaction between CO2 and the Pt moiety, and (iii) the small binding energy of CO2 comes from the weak dispersion interaction between CO2 and the PCP. Important molecular properties relating to the dispersion and electrostatic interactions, which are useful for understanding and predicting gas absorption into PCPs, are discussed in detail.

Diisopropylammonium bromide is a high-temperature molecular ferroelectric crystal

Molecular ferroelectrics are highly desirable for their easy and environmentally friendly processing, light weight, and mechanical flexibility. We found that diisopropylammonium bromide (DIPAB), a molecular crystal processed from aqueous solution, is a ferroelectric with a spontaneous polarization of 23 microcoulombs per square centimeter [close to that of barium titanate (BTO)], high Curie temperature of 426 kelvin (above that of BTO), large dielectric constant, and low dielectric loss. DIPAB exhibits good piezoelectric response and well-defined ferroelectric domains. These attributes make it a molecular alternative to perovskite ferroelectrics and ferroelectric polymers in sensing, actuation, data storage, electro-optics, and molecular or flexible electronics.

A tetranuclear cadmium(II) complex based on the 2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetonitrile ligand

The hydrothermal reaction of 2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetonitrile and Cd(ClO(4))(2) yielded the noncentrosymmetric coordination complex tetrakis[μ-2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetato]tetrakis[μ-2-(quinolin-8-yloxy)acetonitrile]tetracadmium tetrakis(perchlorate) dihydrate, [Cd(4)(C(11)H(8)NO(3))(4)(C(11)H(8)N(2)O)(4)](ClO(4))(4)·2H(2)O. The local coordination environment around the Cd(II) cation can be best described as a capped octahedron defined by two N atoms and five O atoms from three ligands. The Cd(II) cations are linked by the ligands with Cd-O-Cd and Cd-O-C-C-O-Cd bridges, forming tetranuclear units, there being two independent tertranuclear units in the structure. The fourfold rotoinversion centre sits at the centre of each Cd(4) core. The two perchlorate anions in the asymmetric unit are linked by the water molecule through O-H...O hydrogen bonds.