Very High Resolution 17O NMR Evidence for Displacive Behavior in Hydrogen-Bonded Solids: Squaric Acid
Authors: N. DALAL1; K. PIERCE2; J. PALOMAR2; R. FU2
Source: Ferroelectrics, Volume 302, Number 1, 2004 , pp. 23-27(5)
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Ltd
Abstract:
Magic angle sample spinning (MAS)7O NMR studies of the paraelectric-antiferroelectric phase transition (at TC = 373 K) of the model hydrogen-bonded compound squaric acid (H2C4O4) reveal a significant displacive component in the microscopic mechanism of the transition. The high resolution (400% enhancement over conventional MAS) was obtained by utilizing single crystals. All four oxygens were clearly shown to be chemically different at T < TC. The peak assignment was supported by quantum theoretical calculations of the 17O isotropic chemical shifts using a pentamer model of the crystal structure. There was a clear break in the isotropic part of the chemical shift on lowering the temperature through TC, implying that the phase transition involves a distortion of the whole H2C4O4 framework, and not just the order-disorder rearrangement of the H's i.e., future models of the transition should include a displacive component, in addition to an order-disorder part. The observation of the double at T > TC implies that the two O
H

O chains retain their difference in the paraelectric phase as well. This is consistent with the one-dimensional Ising chain model, in contrast to the more prevalent, two-dimensional, C4O4 square-lattice model.
Keywords: NMR; hydrogen bonded solids
Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1080/00150190490456141
Affiliations: 1: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 2: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

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