Crystal structure and thermochemical properties of phase change materials bis(1-octylammonium) tetrachlorochromate

A new crystalline complex (C₈H₁₇NH₃)₂CdCl₄(s) (abbreviated as C₈Cd(s)) is synthesized by liquid phase reaction. The crystal structure and composition of the complex are determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, chemical analysis, and elementary analysis. It is triclinic, the space group is P-1 and Z = 2. The lattice potential energy of the title complex is calculated to be U_POT (C₈Cd(s))=978.83 kJ·mol^-1 from crystallographic data. Low-temperature heat capacities of the complex are measured by a precision automatic adiabatic calorimeter over a temperature range from 78 K to 384 K. The temperature, molar enthalpy, and entropy of the phase transition for the complex are determined to be 307.3± 0.15 K, 10.15± 0.23 kJ·mol^-1, and 33.05± 0.78 J·K^-1·mol^-1 respectively for the endothermic peak. Two polynomial equations of the heat capacities each as a function of temperature are fitted by the least-square method. Smoothed heat capacity and thermodynamic functions of the complex are calculated based on the fitted polynomials.