ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

Exploring the phase space of H-bond driven dynamics of ionic plastic crystals via variable temperature and pressure powder diffraction studies

Abstract: Ionic plastic crystals (IPCs) are materials comprised completely of ions, which at room temperature, are solids with significant disorder in the crystal structure. As a result, these materials have a rich landscape of temperature driven solid-solid phase transitions. Recent discoveries of colossal barocaloric effects in molecular plastic crystals (MPCs) suggest that PCs in general could have a huge impact on the future of solid-state cooling technology. One of the many advantages of IPCs is the ability to tailor their properties by modifications to the cation and/or anion. We therefore wish to use neutron powder diffraction to study the phase behaviour of the CHOM-X family as a function of temperature and pressure. We wish to understand the structural origins of these thermal effects. In particular, we seek to understand the long-range structural symmetry, local molecular orientations and most interestingly the cation-anion cooperativity in inducing these phase transitions.

Principal Investigator: Dr Claire Hobday
Experimenter: Mr Joshua Levinsky
Experimenter: Mr David Coventry
Local Contact: Dr Ivan da Silva Gonzalez
Experimenter: Miss Phillippa Partridge

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2420166

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2420166

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Dr Claire Hobday et al; (2025): Exploring the phase space of H-bond driven dynamics of ionic plastic crystals via variable temperature and pressure powder diffraction studies, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2420166

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.