Nonpolar-to-Polar Phase Transition of a Chiral Ionic Plastic Crystal and Switch of the Rotation Symmetry

J Am Chem Soc. 2018 Jan 10;140(1):291-297. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b10249. Epub 2017 Dec 19.

Abstract

The synthesis of a new ionic plastic crystal, tetraethylammonium-d20 d-10-camphorsulfonate, is reported. The crystal has three solid phases, the structures of which were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis revealed a phase transition from nonpolar space group P21212 to polar space group P21 with increasing temperature. The dynamics of the d-10-camphorsulfonate anion and the tetraethylammonium-d20 cation was investigated by variable-temperature 1H and 2H solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The anion showed swing motion in high-temperature phases, which is in good agreement with the disorder observed in XRD analysis. The cation showed uniaxial rotation even in the low-temperature phase. The rotation axis of the tetrahedral structure showed a transition from the two-fold axis to the three-fold axis with the phase transition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't