High-temperature and pressure-induced ferroelectricity in hydrogen-bonded supramolecular crystals of anilic acids and 2,3-di(2-pyridinyl)pyrazine.

Cocrystallization of anilic acids (H2xa) and 2,3-di(2-pyridinyl)pyrazine (dppz) affords a variety of molecular geometries, including hydrogen-bonding and supramolecular structures. Proton-transferred 1:1 salts of [H-dppz][Hca] and [H-dppz][Hba] (H2ca = chloranilic acid, H2ba = bromanilic acid) were found to host room-temperature ferroelectricity with a spontaneous polarization of 3-4 μC/cm(2) along the hydrogen-bonded chains. Compared with the Curie points of other supramolecular ferroelectrics, those of the salts are relatively high (402 K and >420 K, respectively) because of the elongated hydrogen bonds, which stabilize the proton-ordered state against thermal agitation. In addition to the ferroelectric black (α) form, dppz and H2ba gave two different crystal forms with a 2:3 ratio: the brown β form of [H(1.5)-dppz]2[Hba]3 and the brownish-red γ form of [H-dppz]2[Hba]2[H2ba]. Mixed solutions of dppz with the less acidic fluoranilic acid (H2fa) exhibit valence instability; the H2fa molecules remain mostly neutral in absolute ethanol, whereas methanol (MeOH) solution apparently increases the deprotonated Hfa(-) content. Crystallizations of these solutions gave a neutral [dppz][H2fa] cocrystal and ionic [H-dppz(+)][Hfa(-)]·MeOH salt, respectively. The ferroelectricity induced by a modest hydrostatic pressure corroborates the conclusion that the ionic state with a dipolar [H-dppz(+)][Hfa(-)] chain is energetically close to the nonpolar neutral ground state of the [dppz][H2fa] crystal.