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Wei C, Li L, Zheng Y, Wang L, Ma J, Xu M, Lin J, Xie L, Naumov P, Ding X, Feng Q, Huang W. Flexible molecular crystals for optoelectronic applications. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:3687-3713. [PMID: 38411997 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00116d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The cornerstones of the advancement of flexible optoelectronics are the design, preparation, and utilization of novel materials with favorable mechanical and advanced optoelectronic properties. Molecular crystalline materials have emerged as a class of underexplored yet promising materials due to the reduced grain boundaries and defects anticipated to provide enhanced photoelectric characteristics. An inherent drawback that has precluded wider implementation of molecular crystals thus far, however, has been their brittleness, which renders them incapable of ensuring mechanical compliance required for even simple elastic or plastic deformation of the device. It is perplexing that despite a plethora of reports that have in the meantime become available underpinning the flexibility of molecular crystals, the "discovery" of elastically or plastically deformable crystals remains limited to cases of serendipitous and laborious trial-and-error approaches, a situation that calls for a systematic and thorough assessment of these properties and their correlation with the structure. This review provides a comprehensive and concise overview of the current understanding of the origins of crystal flexibility, the working mechanisms of deformations such as plastic and elastic bending behaviors, and insights into the examples of flexible molecular crystals, specifically concerning photoelectronic changes that occur in deformed crystals. We hope this summary will provide a reference for future experimental and computational efforts with flexible molecular crystals aimed towards improving their mechanical behavior and optoelectronic properties, ultimately intending to advance the flexible optoelectronic technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanxin Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Liang Li
- Smart Materials Lab, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Yingying Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Lizhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Jingyao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Man Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Jinyi Lin
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Linghai Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
- School of Flexible Electronics (SoFE) and Henan Institute of Flexible Electronics (HIFE), Henan University, 379 Mingli Road, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Panče Naumov
- Smart Materials Lab, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
- Center for Smart Engineering Materials, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Research Center for Environment and Materials, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Bul. Krste Misirkov 2, Skopje MK-1000, Macedonia
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Xuehua Ding
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
| | - Quanyou Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
- School of Flexible Electronics (SoFE) and Henan Institute of Flexible Electronics (HIFE), Henan University, 379 Mingli Road, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Flexible Electronics (FSCFE), Shaanxi Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE), MIIT Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLoFE), Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), 127 West Youyi Road, Xi'an 710072, China
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Pan X, Lan L, Li L, Naumov P, Zhang H. Flexible Organic Chiral Crystals with Thermal and Excitation Modulation of the Emission for Information Transmission, Writing, and Storage. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202320173. [PMID: 38340073 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202320173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Organic single crystals quickly emerge as dense yet light and nearly defect-free media for emissive elements. Integration of functionalities and control over the emissive properties is currently being explored for a wide range of these materials to benchmark their performance against organic emissive materials diluted in powders or films. Here, we report mechanically flexible emissive chiral organic crystals capable of an unprecedented combination of fast, reversible, and low-fatigue responses. UV-excited single crystals of both enantiomers of the material, 4-chloro-2-(((1-phenylidene)imino)methyl)phenol, exhibit a drastic yet reversible change in the emission color from green to orange-yellow within a second and can be cycled at least 2000 times. The photoresponse was found to depend strongly on the excitation intensity and temperature. Combining chirality, mechanical compliance, rapid emission switching, multiple responses, and writability by UV light, this material provides a unique and versatile platform for developing organic crystal-based materials for on-demand signal transfer, information storage, and cryptography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhong Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 130012, Changchun, China
| | - Linfeng Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 130012, Changchun, China
| | - Liang Li
- Smart Materials Lab, New York University Abu Dhabi, 129188, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Department of Science and Engineering, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, 38044, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Panče Naumov
- Smart Materials Lab, New York University Abu Dhabi, 129188, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Center for Smart Engineering Materials, New York University Abu Dhabi, 129188, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Research Center for Environment and Materials, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Bul. Krste Misirkov 2, MK-1000, Skopje, Macedonia
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, 10003, New York, USA
| | - Hongyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, 130012, Changchun, China
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Wang Z, Han W, Shi R, Han X, Zheng Y, Xu J, Bu XH. Mechanoresponsive Flexible Crystals. JACS AU 2024; 4:279-300. [PMID: 38425899 PMCID: PMC10900217 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Flexible crystals have gained significant attention owing to their remarkable pliability, plasticity, and adaptability, making them highly popular in various research and application fields. The main challenges in developing flexible crystals lie in the rational design, preparation, and performance optimization of such crystals. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental origins of crystal flexibility is crucial for establishing evaluation criteria and design principles. This Perspective offers a retrospective analysis of the development of flexible crystals over the past two decades. It summarizes the elastic standards and possible plastic bending mechanisms tailored to diverse flexible crystals and analyzes the assessment of their theoretical basis and applicability. Meanwhile, the compatibility between crystal elasticity and plasticity has been discussed, unveiling the immense prospects of elastic/plastic crystals for applications in biomedicine, flexible electronic devices, and flexible optics. Furthermore, this Perspective presents state-of-the-art experimental avenues and analysis methods for investigating molecular interactions in molecular crystals, which is vital for the future exploration of the mechanisms of crystal flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Wang
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Wenqing Han
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Rongchao Shi
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Xiao Han
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Yongshen Zheng
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Jialiang Xu
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
- Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
| | - Xian-He Bu
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary
Science Center, Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai University, Tongyan Road 38, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
- Collaborative
Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tianjin 300350, P. R. China
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Thompson AJ, Powell JA, Melville JN, McMurtrie JC, Clegg JK. Crystals of Aliphatic Derivatives of [Cu(acac) 2 ] have Distinct Atomic-Scale Mechanisms of Bending. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023:e2207431. [PMID: 36932939 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Molecular crystals displaying elastic flexibility have important applications in the fields of optoelectronics and nanophotonic technologies. Understanding the mechanisms by which these materials bend is critical to the design of future materials incorporating these properties. Based on the known elastic properties of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II), a series of 14 aliphatic derivatives are synthesized and crystallized. All those which grew in a needle morphology display noticeable elasticity, with 1D chains of π-stacked molecules parallel to the long metric length of the crystal a consistent crystallographic feature. Crystallographic mapping is used to measure the mechanism of elasticity at an atomic-scale. Symmetric derivatives with ethyl and propyl side chains are found to have different mechanisms of elasticity, which are further distinguished from the previously reported mechanism of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II). While crystals of bis(acetylacetonato)copper(II) are known to bend elastically via a molecular rotation mechanism, the elasticity of the compounds presented is facilitated by expansion of their π-stacking interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Thompson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Joshua A Powell
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jamie N Melville
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - John C McMurtrie
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Jack K Clegg
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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Hasija A, Thompson AJ, Singh L, S N M, Mangalampalli KSRN, McMurtrie JC, Bhattacharjee M, Clegg JK, Chopra D. Plastic Deformation in a Molecular Crystal Enables a Piezoresistive Response. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2206169. [PMID: 36587988 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202206169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic materials are promising candidates for the development of efficient sensors for many medicinal and materials science applications. Single crystals of a small molecule, 4-trifluoromethyl phenyl isothiocyanate (4CFNCS), exhibit plastic deformation when bent, twisted, or coiled. Synchrotron micro-focus X-ray diffraction mapping of the bent region of the crystal confirms the mechanism of deformation. The crystals are incorporated into a flexible piezoresistive sensor using a composite constituting PEDOT: PSS/4CFNCS, which shows an impressive performance at high-pressure ranges (sensitivity 0.08 kPa-1 above 44 kPa).
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Affiliation(s)
- Avantika Hasija
- Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-Pass Road, Bhopal, MP, 462066, India
| | - Amy J Thompson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Lakhvir Singh
- i-lab, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, MP, 462066, India
| | - Megha S N
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Kanchipuram, 603203, India
| | - Kiran S R N Mangalampalli
- Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, Chennai, Kanchipuram, 603203, India
| | - John C McMurtrie
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Mitradip Bhattacharjee
- i-lab, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, MP, 462066, India
| | - Jack K Clegg
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Deepak Chopra
- Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal By-Pass Road, Bhopal, MP, 462066, India
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Kusumoto S, Kim Y, Hayami S. Flexible metal complex crystals in response to external mechanical stimuli. Coord Chem Rev 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Sasaki T. Mechanical twinning in organic crystals. CrystEngComm 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2ce00089j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Various kinds of organic crystals can deform beyond their elastic limit, show unique mechanical properties, and switch directions of anisotropic functions by mechanical twinning based on stress-induced molecular movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Sasaki
- Department of Materials System Science, Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan
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Divya IS, Kandasamy S, Hasebe S, Sasaki T, Koshima H, Woźniak K, Varughese S. Flexible organic crystals. Understanding the tractable co-existence of elastic and plastic bending. Chem Sci 2022; 13:8989-9003. [PMID: 36091219 PMCID: PMC9365086 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc02969c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
As an emerging class of flexible materials, mechanically bendable molecular crystals are broadly classified as elastic or plastic. Nevertheless, flexible organic crystals with mutually exclusive elastic and plastic traits, with contrasting structural requirements, co-existing under different stress settings are exceptional; hence, it is imperative to establish the concurring factors that beget this rare occurrence. We report a series of halogen-substituted benzil crystals showing elastic bending (within ∼2.45% strain), followed by elastoplastic deformation under ambient conditions. Under higher stress settings, they display exceptional plastic flexibility that one could bend, twist, or even coil around a capillary tube. X-ray diffraction, microscopy, and computational data reveal the microscopic and macroscopic basis for the exciting co-existence of elastic, elastoplastic, and plastic properties in the crystals. The layered molecular arrangement and the weak dispersive interactions sustaining the interlayer region provide considerable tolerance towards breaking and making upon engaging or releasing the external stress; it enables restoring the original state within the elastic strain. Comparative studies with oxalate compounds, wherein the twisted diketo moiety in benzil was replaced with a rigid and coplanar central oxalate moiety, enabled us to understand the effect of the anisotropy factor on the crystal packing induced by the C
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O⋯C tetral interactions. The enhanced anisotropy depreciated the elastic domain, making the oxalate crystals more prone to plastic deformation. Three-point bending experiments and the determined Young's moduli further corroborate the co-existence of the elastic and plastic realm and highlight the critical role of the underlying structural elements that determine the elastic to plastic transformation. The work highlights the possible co-existence of orthogonal mechanical characteristics in molecular crystals and further construed the concurrent role of microscopic and macroscopic elements in attaining this exceptional mechanical trait. Structural and mechanical studies of benzil and oxalate crystals highlight the microscopic and macroscopic basis for the co-existence of orthogonal mechanical traits and the elastic to plastic transformation under different stress settings.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Indira S. Divya
- Chemical Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695019, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | | | - Shodai Hasebe
- Department of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Sasaki
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan
| | - Hideko Koshima
- Research Organization for Nano and Life Innovation, Waseda University, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Krzysztof Woźniak
- Crystallochemistry Laboratory, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02-093, Poland
| | - Sunil Varughese
- Chemical Science and Technology Division, CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, 695019, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Bhandary S, Van Deun R, Kaczmarek AM, Van Hecke K. Deformation-induced phosphorescence shift in a 2D elastically flexible organic single crystal: role of chalcogen-centered weak interactions. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10308-10314. [PMID: 36277655 PMCID: PMC9473510 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc03729g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanically responsive organic luminescent crystals are one of the promising choices of materials for flexible photonic devices. However, the change in phosphorescence emission as a function of the flexibility of a crystal has never been reported. Our current findings demonstrate two-dimensional (2D) and one-dimensional (1D) macroscopic elastic deformability, under mechanical stress, in elastically flexible single crystals of dibenzothiophene, and its brominated derivative, respectively. Unlike the presence of dual fluorescence (FL) and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in dibenzothiophene single crystals, the derivative was found to show only RTP. Interestingly, upon elastic deformation, single crystals of the dual emissive dibenzothiophene show a noticeable blue shift (∼20 nm) of RTP emission when compared to their pristine crystals (straight and naturally bent). However, their FL peaks remain nearly unchanged irrespective of the crystal deformation. A hierarchy of structure-elastic functionality to RTP modulation has been quantitatively mapped by rationalizing the role of chalcogen-involved weak interactions. In response to macroscopic elastical bending, single crystals of dual emissive dibenzothiophene depict a significant blue shift (∼20 nm) of RTP emission when compared to their pristine crystals (straight and naturally bent).![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhrajyoti Bhandary
- XStruct, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rik Van Deun
- L3 – Luminescent Lanthanide Lab, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anna M. Kaczmarek
- NanoSensing Group, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristof Van Hecke
- XStruct, Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Thompson AJ, Chamorro Orué AI, Nair AJ, Price JR, McMurtrie J, Clegg JK. Elastically flexible molecular crystals. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:11725-11740. [PMID: 34528036 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00469g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of molecular single crystals that display interesting elastic behaviour has generated excitement regarding their potential applications as it has upended the common perception of crystals as brittle objects. In order to design new functional materials based on molecular crystals, a comprehensive understanding of how these materials respond to deformation on a molecular-level is required. An introduction to the underlying mechanical theory and how it may be applied to single crystals is provided, along with a comprehensive discussion on how these mechanical properties can be characterised. While this field has already presented a large number of elastically flexible crystals, there is a lack of detailed mechanical characterisation data and some contention regarding the atomic-scale mechanism of elasticity. Due to the discrepancies and contradictions between theories proposed in the literature, it is not yet understood why some crystals are elastic while others shatter under applied force. To dispel ambiguity and guide future research, a set of criteria are proposed to define an elastically flexible crystal, so that these materials may find applications among future technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Thompson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Analia I Chamorro Orué
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Akshay Jayamohanan Nair
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jason R Price
- Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO - Melbourne, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
| | - John McMurtrie
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia. .,Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Queensland 2001, Australia
| | - Jack K Clegg
- Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO - Melbourne, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.
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Thompson AJ, Price JR, McMurtrie JC, Clegg JK. The mechanism of bending in co-crystals of caffeine and 4-chloro-3-nitrobenzoic acid. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5983. [PMID: 34671030 PMCID: PMC8528856 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26204-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Thompson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jason R Price
- ANSTO Melbourne, The Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - John C McMurtrie
- School of Chemistry and Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia. .,Centre for Materials Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 2 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
| | - Jack K Clegg
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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12
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Abstract
Dynamic macroscopic behaviour of single crystals of coordination polymers when subjected to light, heat, and mechanical force.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jagadese J. Vittal
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543
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