Crystal structure and piezoelectric properties of the final member of the pyridylalanine derivative series: [H-β-(3-pyridyl)-Ala-OH][BF4]
Abstract
A new amino acid-based crystal, [3PyAla][BF4], was successfully synthesized and characterized using single-crystal diffraction. The title salt crystallizes in the polar, piezoelectric P21 space group. Piezo-electric force microscopy (PFM) demonstrated that the piezoresponse of [3PyAla][BF4] is comparable to that of lithium niobate (LiNbO3). The correlation between the crystal structure – particularly the hydrogen bond network – and the physical properties of this alanine derivative was examined. Additionally, its thermal behavior was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The piezoresponse of [3PyAla][BF4] and other alanine salts was discussed.