(C2H5NH3)3[InBr6]: an indium(III) organic-inorganic hybrid phase transition compound exhibiting a switchable dielectric response

Organic-inorganic hybrid phase transition compounds have been receiving extraordinary interest because they have great potential in molecular dielectric switch applications. Here, an indium(III)-based phase transition compound, (C2H5NH3)(3)[InBr6] (1), has been successfully synthesized. The phase transition temperature (T-c) of 1 is 248 K in the cooling process, as certified via differential scanning calorimetry. Crystal structural analyses indicate that the phase transition is associated with the order-disorder changes of ethylammonium cations. Moreover, 1 exhibits an excellent switchable dielectric response in the vicinity of the T-c. All these findings suggest that compound 1 is an excellent candidate for stimuli-responsive dielectric switchable devices.