Formation of polar crystals of a chiral dinuclear nickel(II) complex and their pyroelectric effect and electro-optic effect

Polar crystals were formed using a chiral dinuclear nickel(II) complex [Ni2(bomp)(R/S-OCOCH(CH3)Ph)2]BPh4 as a building unit. [H(bomp): 2,6-bis[bis(2-methoxyethyl)aminomethyl]-4-methylphenol; H(R/S-OCOCH(CH3)Ph): R/S-2-phenylpropionic acid]. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed that the symmetry of the crystal was C2 and the complex cations were orientated along the polar axis. The crystals showed pyroelectric and second-order electro-optic effects, which are characteristic of polar materials.