Tunable Dielectric Responses Triggered by Dimensionality Modification in Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Phase Transition Compounds (C5H6N)CdnCl2n+1 (n = 1 and 2)

Two hybrids (C5H6N)CdCl3 (1) and (C5H6N)Cd2Cl5 (2) were synthesized by stoichiometric regulation of reactants. 1 with a one-dimensional chain-like structure shows a step-like dielectric anomaly at around 158 K. 2 with a layered structure undergoes a prominent phase transition in the vicinity of 182 K, accompanying obvious dielectric relaxation behavior in a broad temperature range. Systematic characterization, such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and dielectric measurements, has demonstrated that the phase transitions of 1 and 2 are both attributable to the dynamic motion of the organic cation. Significantly, dimensionality modulation triggers the tunable dielectric responses in these two compounds. Thus, regulation of the phase transition temperature and dielectric responses in the various dimensions of the structure is a potentially effective method to construct tunable dielectric phase transition materials.