A New Paramagnetic & Piezoelectric Organometallic Material

SMSU Event Center BC

We have synthesized a new organometallic material that is predicted to be multiferroic. Ferroelectric materials can pave a way to exciting new technologies, such as FRAM. Bis(Diisopropylamonium) Cobalt(II) Tetrachloride, BLUE, is grown from beaker solutions containing; molar solution Cobalt(II) Chloride Hexahydrate(237.93g/L), Hydrochloric Acid (HCL), and Diisopropylamine (DIPA). Crystals can form in small needle like morphology within one week, larger crystals can take two or more months. Its density is 1.309 g/ cm3 and melting point is above 130°C. Single crystal x-ray diffraction data gives its symmetry group is C 1 2 1. Dipole strength along each axis (a, b, c) respectively are -7.8541, 99.567, and -56.677 e-Å. The dipole strengths indicates the polar axis along a diagonal, predicted from theory to be 28° off the b-axis. Atomic Force Microscopy testing has shown ferroelectric and piezoelectric results. Weak ferroelectric results are shown by Piezo Force Microscopy imaging a process of “reading and writing” domains onto ferroelectrics, while piezoelectric results are point tested with responses of 5-12 nA and qualitative hysteretic results. The Radiant System testing has shown butterfly curves that indicate piezoelectric responses for different samples of blue, and lemon shaped hysteresis curves due to resistance. Blue samples have shown piezoelectric responses when tested with an electric field that ranges between 5-15 Kv/cm. However, at the electric field of 11-15 Kv/cm the break down voltage of blue crystals is noted. Further testing is to be conducted on larger crystals and different axes with Atomic Force Microscopy and bulk capacitance testing.