The molecular design and regulation
has shown bright future for
constructing smart molecular materials such as ferroelectrics, dielectric
switches, electro-optic effect, and so forth. Here, by poly-H/F substitution
in a simple organic-inorganic hybrid 2[CH2FCH2NH3]·[CdCl4], 1 (CH2FCH2NH3 = fluorine ethylamine cation), we obtained
two novel hybrids, namely, 2[CHF2CH2NH3]·[CdCl4], 2 (CHF2CH2NH3 = 2,2′-difluorine ethylamine cation)
and 2[CF3CH2NH3]·[CdCl4], 3 (CF3CH2NH3 = 2,2′,2″-trifluorine
ethylamine cation). Further investigations show that compounds 1, 2, and 3 experience solid reversible
phase transitions with temperatures at 294, 319, and 329 K respectively.
These unique phase transitions were confirmed by their remarkable
dielectric and heat anomalies around the phase transition temperatures.
X-ray single-crystal diffraction analyses before and after the phase
transitions show that the order–disorder motions of F atoms
and the twist motions from the 2D [CdCl4]2– framework lead to these solid reversible phase transitions. Also,
the Hirshfeld surface calculation of compounds 1, 2, and 3 suggests that the increasing ratio of
the F···F interaction from the intermolecular interaction
makes a major contribution for the substantial increase of their phase
transition temperatures.