The organic salt (5-methyl-1-thia-5-azacyclo-octane-1-oxide) perchlorate (TACO) is known to undergo a single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition in the 276-298 K T range without a change in the external shape of the sample. Despite extensive computational and experimental investigations, no safe conclusions about the transition mechanism could be drawn till now. The two packing patterns are very similar, and symmetry is conserved, apart from an interchange of cell axes from P21/c (α-TACO, low-T) to P21/a (β-TACO, high-T). Yet, the phase transition implies a significant conformational rearrangement, coupled with ∼180°-wide rotations, of 1/2 of the cations, in conjunction with reorientation of the anions. Here, we analyze the crystal packing of the two phases in terms of pairwise molecule-molecule interaction energies, as derived from the PIXEL approach. Rigid-body molecular reorientations are simulated by solid-state Monte Carlo calculations, while the likelihood of conformational rearrangements is estimated through gas-phase density functional theory M06/6-311G(p,d) simulations. We demonstrate that rotational motion of the cations is not hampered by substantial energetic barriers, while the ring flip can be described as a two-step process with a main kinetic barrier of ∼45 kJ·mol-1, which might explain the metastable behavior of the β phase at low T. A possible mechanism of the phase transition is proposed, accounting for the present computational evidences in the context of the former experimental findings.

The TACO Puzzle: A Phase-Transition Mystery Revisited / A. Gavezzotti, S. Rizzato, L. Lo Presti. - In: CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN. - ISSN 1528-7483. - 18:11(2018 Nov), pp. 7219-7227. [10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01461]

The TACO Puzzle: A Phase-Transition Mystery Revisited

A. Gavezzotti
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
S. Rizzato
Investigation
;
L. Lo Presti
Investigation
2018

Abstract

The organic salt (5-methyl-1-thia-5-azacyclo-octane-1-oxide) perchlorate (TACO) is known to undergo a single-crystal-to-single-crystal phase transition in the 276-298 K T range without a change in the external shape of the sample. Despite extensive computational and experimental investigations, no safe conclusions about the transition mechanism could be drawn till now. The two packing patterns are very similar, and symmetry is conserved, apart from an interchange of cell axes from P21/c (α-TACO, low-T) to P21/a (β-TACO, high-T). Yet, the phase transition implies a significant conformational rearrangement, coupled with ∼180°-wide rotations, of 1/2 of the cations, in conjunction with reorientation of the anions. Here, we analyze the crystal packing of the two phases in terms of pairwise molecule-molecule interaction energies, as derived from the PIXEL approach. Rigid-body molecular reorientations are simulated by solid-state Monte Carlo calculations, while the likelihood of conformational rearrangements is estimated through gas-phase density functional theory M06/6-311G(p,d) simulations. We demonstrate that rotational motion of the cations is not hampered by substantial energetic barriers, while the ring flip can be described as a two-step process with a main kinetic barrier of ∼45 kJ·mol-1, which might explain the metastable behavior of the β phase at low T. A possible mechanism of the phase transition is proposed, accounting for the present computational evidences in the context of the former experimental findings.
Chemistry (all); Materials Science (all); Condensed Matter Physics
Settore CHIM/02 - Chimica Fisica
Settore CHIM/03 - Chimica Generale e Inorganica
   PIANO DI SOSTEGNO ALLA RICERCA 2015-2017 - LINEA 2 "DOTAZIONE ANNUALE PER ATTIVITA' ISTITUZIONALE"
   UNIVERSITA' DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO
nov-2018
15-ott-2018
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/601682
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