Macroscopic Polarization Change via Electron Transfer in a Valence Tautomeric Cobalt Complex

Shu-Qi Wu, Meijiao Liu, Kaige Gao, Shinji Kanegawa, Yusuke Horie, Genki Aoyama, Hajime Okajima, Akira Sakamoto, Michael L. Baker, Myron S. Huzan, Peter Bencok, Tsukasa Abe (+5 others)
2020 Nature Communications  
Polarization change induced by directional electron transfer attracts considerable attention owing to its fast switching rate and potential light control. Here, we investigate electronic pyroelectricity in the crystal of a mononuclear complex, [Co(phendiox)(rac-cth)](ClO4)·0.5EtOH (1·0.5EtOH, H2phendiox = 9, 10-dihydroxyphenanthrene, rac-cth = racemic 5, 5, 7, 12, 12, 14-hexamethyl-1, 4, 8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), which undergoes a two-step valence tautomerism (VT). Correspondingly,
more » ... ectric current exhibits double peaks in the same temperature domain with the polarization change consistent with the change in dipole moments during the VT process. Time-resolved Infrared (IR) spectroscopy shows that the photo-induced metastable state can be generated within 150 ps at 190 K. Such state can be trapped for tens of minutes at 7 K, showing that photo-induced polarization change can be realized in this system. These results directly demonstrate that a change in the molecular dipole moments induced by intramolecular electron transfer can introduce a macroscopic polarization change in VT compounds.
doi:10.1038/s41467-020-15988-1 pmid:32332751 fatcat:4mveebhgw5ao3ay6jztyvx5ece