Crystal structure, optical characterization, conduction and relaxation mechanisms of a new hybrid compound...

Hybrid materials play a crucial role in the construction of flexible electronic devices due to the advantages of both organic and inorganic components. To this end, a new hybrid compound (C₆H₉N₂)₂[Sb₂Cl₈] was successfully fabricated using the slow evaporation solution growth approach at room temperature. In-depth research has been done on the structural, optical, and dielectric characteristics. This compound adopts the triclinic symmetry and crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P1̄. The inorganic and organic components respectively form anionic and cationic layers parallel to the ac-plane and alternate along the crystallographic b-axis. The [Sb₂Cl₈]^2- dimeric units are bound to the 2-amino-5-picolinium cations [(C₆H₉N₂)]⁺ through N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. Optical absorption measurements showed a semiconductor behavior with a band gap of approximately 3.57 eV. In addition, DFT calculations were performed to investigate the absorption spectrum, wavelength, and HOMO-LUMO gap. The analysis of complex impedance spectra shows that the electrical conductivity of the sample is strongly frequency and temperature dependent, indicating a relaxation phenomenon and semiconductor-type behavior. Dielectric data obtained from complex impedance spectroscopy and ac conductivity with the use of the Maxwell-Wagner equivalent circuit model, and the universal power law have been investigated to explore the basic components of the electronic transport and relaxation process in our material.