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Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Measuring Magnetically-Tuned Ferroelectric Polarization in Liquid Crystals
Published on: August 15, 2018
A Ferroelectric Metallomesogen Exhibiting Field-Induced Slow Magnetic Relaxation
Ryohei Akiyoshi1, Hikaru Zenno1, Yoshihiro Sekine1,2
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, 2-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan.
Abstract:
Magnetoelectric (ME) materials exhibiting coupled electric and magnetic properties are of significant interest because of their potential use in memory storage devices, new sensors, or low-consumption devices. Herein, we report a new category of ME material that shows liquid crystal (LC), ferroelectric (FE), and field-induced single molecule magnet (SMM) behaviors. Co(II) complex incorporating alkyl chains of type [Co(3C16 -bzimpy)2 ](BF4 )2 (1; 3C16 -bzimpy=2,2'-(4-hexadecyloxy-2,6-diyl)bis(1-hexadecyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole)) displayed a chiral smectic C mesophase in the temperature range 321 K-458 K, in which distinct FE behavior was observed, with a remnant polarization (88.3 nC cm-2 ). Complex 1 also exhibited field-induced slow magnetic relaxation behavior that reflects the large magnetic anisotropy of the Co(II) center. Furthermore, the dielectric property of 1 was able to be tuned by an external magnetic field occurring from both spin-lattice coupling and molecular orientational variation. Clearly, this multifunctional compound, combining LC, FE, and SMM properties, represents an entry to the development of a range of next-generation ME materials.
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