Hybrid Inorganic-Organic Perovskite Glasses

Hybrid perovskites occupy a prominent position within solid-state materials chemistry due to their (e.g.) ionic transport, ferroelectric and multiferroic properties. Here we show that a series of [TPrA][M(Dca)₃] perovskites (TPrA = tetrapropylammonium cation; Dca = dicyanamide anion; M = Mn, Fe, Co) melt below 300 °C. A combined experimental-computational approach reveal the melting mechanism, and demonstrates that the hybrid perovskites form glasses upon melt quenching which largely retain the inorganic-organic bonding of the crystalline phase. The very low thermal conductivities of these glasses (~ 0.2 W m^-1 K^-1), moderate electrical conductivities (10^-2 – 10^-4 S m^-1) and thermo-mechanical properties reminiscent of polymeric materials identify them as a new family of functional glass-formers.