Investigation of photophysical properties of organic-inorganic halide materials at high pressure
Principal investigator
Organic-inorganic hybrid compounds have attracted much attention from researchers in the field of optoelectronic materials during the last decade. The combination of relatively simple preparation of this group of materials and adaptable optoelectronic properties1 makes them suitable in the construction of various, economically very acceptable, optoelectronic devices (eg organic light emitting diodes, solar cells)2-4. In general, as one of the most studied electro-optical materials, inorganic ferroelectrics have found a wide range of applications, ranging from sensors and actuators to optical and memory devices5-9. On the other hand, it is an indisputable fact that certain organic-inorganic hybrid systems show excellent ferroelectric and multiferroic properties10-15, whereby ferroelectricity can play a significant role in managing photovoltaic performance15,16. In addition to temperature, various structural, microstructural, but also optoelectronic changes can also be induced by the application of pressure, from a pressure of just a few GPa to several hundreds of GPa, which can ultimately result in the discovery of new exceptional properties of organic-inorganic hybrid materials - induced changes in the structure correlate very well with changes in the optical properties of the material, where the changes are mostly reversible after decompression of the material.
By rational design and chemical synthesis, combining structural flexibility and ferroelectricity/multiferroicity, and photophysical properties subject to changes under the influence of pressure, a new approach can be opened for the creation of multifunctional magneto-optoelectronic devices, which would have potential applications in the field of magneto-optoelectronics, photovoltaic systems, and sensory devices. The scientific goal of the proposed project is to study in situ the direct influence of pressure application on the structural (formation of new phases during phase transitions) and microstructural (particle size, stress, and deformation) parameters of prepared samples selected organically using the method of synchrotron X-ray radiation at high pressure (up to 100 GPa). - inorganic halides. All samples will be prepared by the method of slow evaporation from aqueous solutions, using selected amines and halides of transition metals (Co, Fe, Mn), including ferroelectric [N(C2H5)3CH3][FeCl4], which, as already stated, shows a phase transition induced by temperature. Complementarily, Raman spectroscopy and luminescence measurements at high pressure will be performed for all prepared samples, and all phenomena will be characterized visually, using optical micrographs taken during compression/decompression.
References:
1. H. Xu, et al. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2014, 43, 3259.
2. Z. K. Tan, et al. Nat. Nanotechnol. 2014, 9, 687.
3. K. M. C. Wong, et al. Adv. Mater. 2014, 26, 5558.
4. N. Pellet, et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 3151.
5. S. Poddar, et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2013, 103, 202901.
6. P. Sharma, et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2014, 105, 182903.
7. P. Sharma, et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2014, 105, 022906.
8. Z. Xiao, et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 2013, 103, 112903.
9. H.-Y. Ye, et al. Sci. Rep. 2013, 3, 2249.
10. R. Shang, et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 2534.
11. J. Long, et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 2236.
12. Z. Y. Du, et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 914.
13. M. Vrankić et al. Inorg. Chem. 2020, 59, 10, 6876.
14. H.-L. Cai, et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 18487.
15. Stroppa, et al. Adv. Mater. 2013, 25, 2284.
16. J. M. Frost, et al. Nano Lett. 2014, 14, 2584.