The role played by amine and ethyl group in the reversible thermochromic process of [(C2H5)2NH2]2CuCl4 probing by FTIR and 2D-COS analysis

Thermochromic compound [(C2H5)2NH2]2CuCl4 displays a solid-solid phase transition at 52 °C apparent with color changing from green to yellow, induced by the geometry of [CuCl4]2− anion (regarded as chromophore of the compound) ranging from square-planar to flattened tetrahedral structure. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation (2D-COS) analysis have been applied to study the role played by the amine and ethyl group of the ammonium cation during the phase transition process in heating and cooling process. With temperature increasing, strength weakening of the N-H…Cl H-bond and thermal disordering of the alkyl chain both occur in the phase transition. 2D-COS analysis reveals the N-H…Cl H-bond responds to increasing temperature in the first place, and may the dominating driving force for the structure variation of [CuCl4]2− anion. Although the thermochromic process of [(C2H5)2NH2]2CuCl4 is a reversible process, the sequential order of the variation of NH2+ and alkyl group of [(C2H5)2NH2]2CuCl4 derived by 2D-COS analysis during heating and cooling process are reverse, indicating the dynamic process of the phase transition is not perfect reversible. The existence of undercooling phenomenon in the cooling process has been revealed by 2D-COS analysis.