A New Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanocomposite, BEDT-TTF Intercalated into Layered FePS3

A new inorganic–organic hybrid compound, Fe_0.76PS₃(BEDT-TTF)_0.48 (BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene), has been synthesized by the reaction of the pre-intercalate Fe_0.90PS₃(Phen)_0.41 (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) with (BEDT-TTF)₂I_x. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the expansion of the lattice spacing (Δ d) is about 4.0 Å compared with the pristine FePS₃, indicating that the molecular ring plane of the guest is parallel to the layer of the host. The infrared spectrum of the intercalate shows the existence of BEDT-TTF as a guest between the interlayer region of the layered FePS₃. The room-temperature electrical conductivity of the compressed pellet of Fe_0.76PS₃(BEDT-TTF)_0.48 is about 10⁻⁷ S/cm, which is in the same order of magnitude as that of the pristine FePS₃(10⁻⁷ S/cm). The magnetic properties measured with a SQUID-magnetometer indicate that Fe_0.76PS₃(BEDT-TTF)_0.48 exhibits the paramagnetism from 120 to 300 K and Curie-Weiss Law was obeyed above 140 K, but a strong antiferromagnetic phase transition occurs at T_N of 100 K.