A Chiral Thermochromic Ferroelastic with Seven Physical Channel Switches.

Authors :: Xiong RG
Lu SQ
Zhang ZX
Cheng H
Li PF
Liao WQ
Source :: Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) [Angew Chem Int Ed Engl] 2020 Jun 08; Vol. 59 (24), pp. 9574-9578. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 May 11.
Publication Year :: 2020
Abstract: Switchable materials play an invaluable role in signal processing and encryption of smart devices. The development of multifunctional materials that exhibit switching characteristics in multiple physical channels has attracted widespread attention. Now, two chiral thermochromic ferroelastic crystals (S-CTA) <subscript>2</subscript> CuCl <subscript>4</subscript> and (R-CTA) <subscript>2</subscript> CuCl <subscript>4</subscript> (CTA=3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium) have been prepared with switchable properties in dielectricity, conductivity, second harmonic generation (SHG), piezoelectricity, ferroelasticity, chiral, and thermochromic properties. Compared with traditional phase-transition materials with switching features, thermochromism brings additional spectral encryption possibilities for future information processing. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first chiral thermochromic ferroelastic that exhibits switching properties in seven physical channels. This work is expected to promote further exploration of multifunctional molecular switchable materials.<br /> (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)