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METAL–ORGANIC FERROELECTRICS

Polarization from sliding molecular rotors

Nature Materials volume 21, pages 1100–1101 (2022)Cite this article

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The direct manipulation of a new kind of ferroelectric state, arising from the sliding of van der Waals layers in a coordination polymer, is demonstrated.

An alternative paradigm exists for designing ferroelectric materials that involves combinations of non-polar orderings coupling together to collectively break inversion symmetry — known as ‘hybrid’ improper ferroelectricity (Fig. 1b). First discussed in the context of layered inorganic perovskites1,2, this approach provides a promising route to circumvent the restrictive design criteria for conventional ferroelectrics. Recent trends have focused on metal–organic perovskites, where molecular constituents may be used to enhance the chances of obtaining polar structures and achieve couplings to orbital and magnetic orderings3. Perovskite ferroelectrics that are entirely metal free have now been reported4 with ordering temperatures and magnitudes of spontaneous polarization comparable to those of BaTiO3. Even when the molecular constituents of the metal–organic perovskite themselves lack a dipole moment, their inclusion in crystal structures can still form an important part of the design strategy for novel improper ferroelectric materials5.

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Fig. 1: Mechanisms for generating ferroelectricity.
Fig. 2: Breaking inversion symmetry with axial vectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

    Mark S. Senn

  2. Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Andrew L. Goodwin

Authors
  1. Mark S. Senn
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  2. Andrew L. Goodwin
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mark S. Senn or Andrew L. Goodwin.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Senn, M.S., Goodwin, A.L. Polarization from sliding molecular rotors. Nat. Mater. 21, 1100–1101 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-022-01334-x

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