Remarkable resilience of the formate cage in a multiferroic metal organic framework material: dimethyl ammonium manganese formate (DMAMnF)

Order-disorder phase transition and molecular dynamics in the hybrid perovskite [(CH3)3NH][Mn(N3)3]

We present a temperature-dependent Raman scattering study of a [(CH₃)₃NH][Mn(N₃)₃] hybrid organic-inorganic azide-perovskite, in which we have analysed in detail the wavenumber and full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of lattice modes and internal modes of the NC₃ skeleton, N₃^- and CH₃ molecular groups. In general, the modes exhibited unusual behaviour during the phase transitions, including discontinuity in the phonon wavenumber, bandwidth, and unconventional shifts upon temperature variation. Spectral features on heating reveal the absence of significant distortions in the NC₃ skeleton and a relatively restricted order-disorder process of the TrMA⁺ cations. On the other hand, linewidth anomalies of the δNC₃ and ν_asNC₃ modes have been attributed to the molecular dynamics of encapsulated cations. The unconventional blue shift of the symmetric stretching modes of azide ligands indicates the weakening of the intermolecular interactions between the TrMA⁺ cations and azido-bridges, and the strengthening of the intramolecular bonds. Additionally, we have used differential scanning calorimetry to confirm the subtle monoclinic to monoclinic (P2₁/c → C2/c) phase transition at around 330 K; and the phase transition to trigonal structure (R3¯m) above 359 K, whose associated entropy variation turns to be |ΔS| ∼ 22.3 J·kg^-1 K^-1 and displays a barocaloric (BC) tunability |δTt/δP| ∼ 3.17 K kbar^-1, according to our estimations using the Clausius-Clapeyron method. Although the obtained values of entropy change and BC tunability are very close to those reported on formate-perovskites and other important caloric materials, those parameters are much lower than the giant entropy change of ∼80 Jkg^-1 K^-1 and large BC tunability ∼12 K kbar^-1 observed for the analogue azide-perovskite [(CH₃)₄N][Mn(N₃)]₃ (TMAMnN₃). Very interestingly, our combined study shed light to understand such different behaviour, as they reveal that the hydrogen bonds created between the TrMA⁺ cations and the framework prevent an extensive order-disorder process that is needed to obtain large entropy changes and large BC coefficients as it occurs in the case of related azide-perovskites with no H-bonds between the A cations (for example TMA) and the framework.

Raman Spectroscopy Studies on the Barocaloric Hybrid Perovskite [(CH3)4N][Cd(N3)3]

Temperature-dependent Raman scattering and differential scanning calorimetry were applied to the study of the hybrid organic-inorganic azide-perovskite [(CH₃)₄N][Cd(N₃)₃], a compound with multiple structural phase transitions as a function of temperature. A significant entropy variation was observed associated to such phase transitions, |∆S| ~ 62.09 J·kg^-1 K^-1, together with both a positive high barocaloric (BC) coefficient |δT_t/δP| ~ 12.39 K kbar^-1 and an inverse barocaloric (BC) coefficient |δT_t/δP| ~ -6.52 kbar^-1, features that render this compound interesting for barocaloric applications. As for the obtained Raman spectra, they revealed that molecular vibrations associated to the NC_4, N₃^- and CH₃ molecular groups exhibit clear anomalies during the phase transitions, which include splits and discontinuity in the phonon wavenumber and lifetime. Furthermore, variation of the TMA⁺ and N₃^- modes with temperature revealed that while some modes follow the conventional red shift upon heating, others exhibit an unconventional blue shift, a result which was related to the weakening of the intermolecular interactions between the TMA (tetramethylammonium) cations and the azide ligands and the concomitant strengthening of the intramolecular bondings. Therefore, these studies show that Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool to gain information about phase transitions, structures and intermolecular interactions between the A-cation and the framework, even in complex hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites with highly disordered phases.

Spin-density studies of the multiferroic metal-organic compound [NH2(CH3)2][FeIIIFeII(HCOO)6]

Polarized neutron diffraction is used to study in depth the magnetic properties of the heterometallic compound [NH₂(CH₃)₂][Fe^IIIFe^II(HCOO)₆] and give insight into its magnetic behaviour, addressing open questions that will contribute to a better understanding of this attention-grabbing material and other related ones. Previous results revealed that upon cooling, the magnetic moments of the Fe^II and Fe^III sites do not order simultaneously: the magnetization of the Fe^II site increases faster than that of the Fe^III sites. Unpolarized neutron diffraction measurements at 2 K with no external field revealed some discrepancies in the saturation value of the magnetic signal on the Fe^III sites and in the ferromagnetic moment along the c axis. These discrepancies could be related to the actual distribution of magnetic moment, since unpolarized neutron diffraction gives information on the magnetic moment localized only on the magnetic ions. Polarized neutron diffraction allows an analysis of the magnitude of the spin density over magnetic and non-magnetic ions (the organic ligand and the counterion), which can give a clue to explain the low saturation on the Fe^III sites and the correlation with the physical measurements. The present study also contributes to the understanding of the magneto-electric behaviour of this compound, giving insight into the role of metal disorder in the origin of the structural phase transition, which is responsible for its antiferrolelectric order, and into the influence of spin-density delocalization on its magneto-electric properties, allowing a discussion of the alternative explanations given so far for its electric properties at low temperature.

Developing the Pressure-Temperature-Magnetic Field Phase Diagram of Multiferroic [(CH3)2NH2]Mn(HCOO)3

We combined Raman scattering and magnetic susceptibility to explore the properties of [(CH₃)₂NH₂]Mn(HCOO)₃ under compression. Analysis of the formate bending mode reveals a broad two-phase region surrounding the 4.2 GPa critical pressure that becomes increasingly sluggish below the order-disorder transition due to the extensive hydrogen-bonding network. Although the paraelectric and ferroelectric phases have different space groups at ambient-pressure conditions, they both drive toward P1 symmetry under compression. This is a direct consequence of how the order-disorder transition changes under pressure. We bring these findings together with prior magnetization work to create a pressure-temperature-magnetic field phase diagram, unveiling entanglement, competition, and a progression of symmetry-breaking effects that underlie functionality in this molecule-based multiferroic. That the high-pressure P1 phase is a subgroup of the ferroelectric Cc suggests the possibility of enhanced electric polarization as well as opportunity for strain control.

Effect of Alkali and Trivalent Metal Ions on the High-Pressure Phase Transition of [C2H5NH3]MI 0.5MIII 0.5(HCOO)3 (MI = Na, K and MIII = Cr, Al) Heterometallic Perovskites

We report the high-pressure behavior of two perovskite-like metal formate frameworks with the ethylammonium cation (EtAKCr and EtANaAl) and compare them to previously reported data for EtANaCr. High-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman data for EtAKCr show the occurrence of two high-pressure phase transitions observed at 0.75(16) and 2.4(2) GPa. The first phase transition involves strong compression and distortion of the KO₆ subnetwork followed by rearrangement of the -CH₂CH₃ groups from the ethylammonium cations, while the second involves octahedral tilting to further reduce pore volume, accompanied by further configurational changes of the alkyl chains. Both transitions retain the ambient P2₁/n symmetry. We also correlate and discuss the influence of structural properties (distortion parameters, bulk modulus, tolerance factors, and compressibility) and parameters calculated by using density functional theory (vibrational entropy, site-projected phonon density of states, and hydrogen bonding energy) on the occurrence and properties of structural phase transitions observed in this class of metal formates.

Hydrogen-bond-mediated structural variation of metal guanidinium formate hybrid perovskites under pressure

The hybrid perovskites are coordination frameworks with the same topology as the inorganic perovskites, but with properties driven by different chemistry, including host-framework hydrogen bonding. Like the inorganic perovskites, these materials exhibit many different phases, including structures with potentially exploitable functionality. However, their phase transformations under pressure are more complex and less well understood. We have studied the structures of manganese and cobalt guanidinium formate under pressure using single-crystal X-ray and powder neutron diffraction. Under pressure, these materials transform to a rhombohedral phase isostructural to cadmium guanidinium formate. This transformation accommodates the reduced cell volume while preserving the perovskite topology of the framework. Using density-functional theory calculations, we show that this behaviour is a consequence of the hydrogen-bonded network of guanidinium ions, which act as struts protecting the metal formate framework against compression within their plane. Our results demonstrate more generally that identifying suitable host-guest hydrogen-bonding geometries may provide a route to engineering hybrid perovskite phases with desirable crystal structures. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mineralomimesis: natural and synthetic frameworks in science and technology'.

The mechanism of phase transitions in azide perovskites probed by vibrational spectroscopy

The temperature-dependent IR and Raman spectroscopy has been used to study the phase transitions in manganese-azide frameworks with either dimethylammonium (DMA⁺) or tetramethylammonium (TMA⁺) cations which adopt a perovskite-like crystal structure. The phase transition in DMA-analogue seems to be associated with cooperative tilting of MnN₆ octahedra and order-disorder of hydrogen bonds while in TMA-analogue it is more complex and composed of several processes, including the motions of both manganese-azide framework and tetramethylammonium cations and their possible coupling. Our results are in agreement with the data received from crystallographic and dielectric measurements in the case of TMA-analogue and we have demonstrated the importance of order-disorder of hydrogen bonds in the case of DMA-analogue which previously has not been taken into account.

Stability and flexibility of heterometallic formate perovskites with the dimethylammonium cation: pressure-induced phase transitions

We report the high-pressure Raman studies and DFT calculations of DMANaCr and DMAKCr perovskite formates.

Raman and single-crystal X-ray diffraction evidence of pressure-induced phase transitions in a perovskite-like framework of [(C3H7)4N] [Mn(N(CN)2)3]

The [TPrA][Mn(dca)₃] perovskite shows highly anisotropic compression and the presence of three pressure-induced phase transitions near 0.4, 3 and 5 GPa into lower symmetry phases.

Framework and coordination strain in two isostructural hybrid metal–organic perovskites

Compression of DmaNiFor₃ and DmaCoFor₃ has been investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.