Photoresponsive Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Ferroelectric Designed at the Molecular Level
Wei‐Jian Xu, Konstantin Romanyuk, J. M. G. Martinho, Ying Zeng, Xuewen Zhang, A. D. Ushakov, V. Ya. Shur, Wei‐Xiong Zhang, Xiao‐Ming Chen, Andréi L. Kholkin, João Rocha
Abstract
below 408 K. Piezoresponse force microscopy witnessed the presence of 180° ferroelectric domains and evidenced polarization switching by repeatedly applying an external electric field. Irradiation of the N-bound nitrosyl ligand (ground state) leads to two different conformations: isonitrosyl O-bound (metastable state I) and side-on nitrosyl conformation (metastable state II). Such photoisomerization realized in solid-state molecular ferroelectrics allows for the photoswitching between the ferroelectric ground state and the metastable state. These results pave the way for new design approaches toward developing next-generation photostimulated ferroelectric materials at the molecular level.