Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Charge-Transfer Hydrogel for Room-Temperature Organic Ferroelectric Thin-Film Devices

Abstract

The possibility of designing programmable thin-film supramolecular structures with spontaneous polarization widens the utility of facile supramolecular chemistry. Although a range of low molecular mass molecular single crystals has been shown to exhibit ferroelectric polarization, demonstration of stimuli-responsive, thin-film, solution-processable supramolecular ferroelectric materials is rare. We introduce aromatic pi-electron donor acceptor molecular systems responsive to multiple stimuli that undergo supramolecular chiral mixed stack charge-transfer (CT) coassembly through the tweezer-inclusion-sandwich process supported by hydrogen-bonding interactions. The structural synergy originating from hydrogen bonding and chiral CT interactions resulted in the development of spontaneous unidirectional macroscopic polarization in the crystalline nanofibrous hydrogel network, under ambient conditions. Moreover, the tunability of these interactions with optical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical stimuli allowed the design of multistate thin-film memory devices. Our design strategy of the supramolecular motif is expected to help the development of new molecular engineering strategies for designing potentially useful smart multicomponent organic electronics.