Guerin_2021_Piezoelectric.pdf (12.85 MB)
A piezoelectric ionic cocrystal of glycine and sulfamic acid
journal contribution
posted on 2021-11-22, 11:50 authored by Sarah Guerin, Sanaz Khorasani, Matthew Gleeson, Joseph O'Donnell, Rana Sanii, Reabetswe Zwane, Anthony M. Reilly, Christophe Silien, Syed A.M. Tofail, Ning Liu, Michael J. Zaworotko, Damien ThompsonCocrystallization of two or more molecular compounds can dramatically change the physicochemical properties of a functional molecule without the need for chemical modification. For example, coformers can enhance the mechanical stability, processability, and solubility of pharmaceutical compounds to enable better medicines. Here, we demonstrate that amino acid cocrystals can enhance functional electromechanical properties in simple, sustainable materials as exemplified by glycine and sulfamic acid. These coformers crystallize independently in centrosymmetric space groups when they are grown as single-component crystals but form a noncentrosymmetric, electromechanically active ionic cocrystal when they are crystallized together. The piezoelectricity of the cocrystal is characterized using techniques tailored to overcome the challenges associated with measuring the electromechanical properties of soft (organic) crystals. The piezoelectric tensor of the cocrystal is mapped using density functional theory (DFT) computer models, and the predicted single-crystal longitudinal response of 2 pC/N is verified using second-harmonic generation (SHG) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). The experimental measurements are facilitated by polycrystalline film growth that allows for macroscopic and nanoscale quantification of the longitudinal out-of-plane response, which is in the range exploited in piezoelectric technologies made from quartz, aluminum nitride, and zinc oxide. The large-area polycrystalline film retains a damped response of ≥0.2 pC/N, indicating the potential for application of such inexpensive and eco-friendly amino acid–based cocrystal coatings in, for example, autonomous ambient-powered devices in edge computing.
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Crystal Growth and Design;21, pp. 5818-5827Publisher
American Chemical SocietyNote
peer-reviewedOther Funding information
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