Flexible Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Crystals of Tin(IV) Chloride and Naphthalenediimide

S. Kusumoto, S. Masuda, R. Suzuki, M. Tachibana, M. Shimabukuro, M. Kobayashi, N. Ogiwara, S. Uchida, T. Fukui, Y. Tsuji, M. Okamura, S. Hikichi, Y. Kim, Y. Koide

Organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides (OIMHs) are emerging functional materials with diverse applications. However, the exploration of mechanically soft OIMHs remains limited. This study introduces tin(IV) OIMH crystals (1 and 1w), incorporating a naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based organic cation (3pmNDI), which exhibit elastic flexibility, mechanochromism, and photothermal conversion. The unique one-dimensional (1D) slip-stacked assembly of 3pmNDI cations, influenced by the presence or absence of lattice water (1wvs.1), dictates their mechanical properties and chromic behavior. Compound 1 exhibits an exceptionally low elastic modulus (Er = 1.84 ± 0.21 GPa), as measured by nanoindentation, and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 63%. These findings showcase the potential of OIMHs as multifunctional flexible crystals.

J. Mater. Chem. C, 13, 8470-8478 (2025). (DOI: 10.1039/D5TC00891C)