Ferroelectrics in metal−organic materials have attracted recent interest owing to their synthetic simplicity and tunable nature. Utilizing isomeric dipodal phosphoramide ligands, L 1 [PhPO(NH 4 Py) 2 ] and L 2 [PhPO(NH 2 Py) 2 ], two new Cu II L 2 derivatives, 1 ({[CuL 1 2 (H 2 O) 2 ]·(NO 3 ) 2 ·(H 2 O) 1.5 · (CH 3 OH)} ∞ ) and 2 ([CuL 2 2 ]·(NO 3 ) 2 ), were synthesized. Compound 1 crystallizes in a noncentrosymmetric polar space group Cc as a two-dimensional framework, and 2 is a centrosymmetric complex. Electrical hysteresis (P−E loop) measurements on 1 at room temperature gave the remnant (P r ) and saturation (P s ) polarization values of 27.96 and 21.79 μC· cm −2 , respectively, which are the highest among all of the known metal−organic ferroelectric materials. Also, the P r value obtained for 1 is comparable to that of barium titanate and higher than most of the organic, polymeric, and inorganic ferroelectric materials. The permittivity measurements on 1 and 2 result in high dielectric constant values of 186.3 and 53.24, respectively, at 1 Hz frequency at room temperature. Temperature-dependent permittivity measurement on 1 yields a dielectric anomaly peak at 40°C due to phase transition assisted by desolvation. The existence of phase transition is further confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, and polarized light microscopy. A comparison of the P−E loops of 1, 1 desolvated , and 1 resolvated suggest that gasification/release of the solvate molecules from the packing structure affects the polarization in 1.
■ INTRODUCTIONMaterials having ferroelectric, multiferroic, and magnetoelectric properties are of tremendous research interest owing to their application in high-technique devices. 1−7 Particularly ferroelectric materials, characterized by switchable electric polarization, are very attractive for their utility in nonvolatile computing devices, capacitors, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), semiconductor chips, field-effect transistors (FETs), telecommunication signal processing units, ultrasonic medical imaging devices, and nonlinear optical devices. 8−21 Traditionally, ceramic materials of the perovskite family, for example barium titanate (BTO) and lead zirconate titanate (PZT), are used as commercial ferroelectrics. 22−27 However, certain limitations such as high-temperature processing, higher molecular weight, and high content of toxic and expensive heavier metals, etc., triggered the search for alternate sources of ferroelectric materials. 28 In this effort, a range of new age materials, viz., polymers, organic−inorganic hybrids, small molecules, and liquid crystals, have been explored for ferroelectric and multiferroic applications. 29−50 Currently, ferroelectric behavior in metal−organic materials has widely been examined due to their simple synthesis, flexibility, and low-temperature fabrication techniques. 51,52 Moreover, the structural components of the metal−organic assemblies, namely, metal ions, coordinating ligands, counteranions, and the guest molec...