High-pressure and low-temperature behaviour of organic ferroelectric (R)-3-quinuclidinol

High-pressure and low-temperature structural changes in the ferroelectric phase of (R)-3-quinuclidinol are analysed. The changes in unit-cell volume and parameters are continuous both on cooling and under increasing pressure. The anisotropy of the structural strain, however, is found to be different. At high pressures, the shortest possible distances for H...H contacts are achieved. Since the deformation along the polarization axis can be related to spontaneous polarization, different piezoelectric responses may be expected on cooling and under hydrostatic compression.