Mechanical Manipulation of Ferroelectric Domains in Molecular Ferroelectric

Ferroelectricity in inorganic materials has been widely explored for applications in energy harvesting, microelectronics, nonvolatile data storage, and neuromorphic computing. Molecular ferroelectrics have emerged as a promising alternative to the commonly used oxide ferroelectrics due to their cost-effective processing, tunable flexibility, biocompatibility, and low coercive field. Herein, we synthesized Imidazole perchlorate (ImClO4) crystals and high quality thin films on a silicon substrate, where hydrogen-bond interactions predominantly govern spontaneous polarization. We demonstrate mechanical control of ferroelectric domains at the nanoscale. The switching mechanism is attributed to the flexoelectric effect, where strain gradients generate a trailing electric field under sufficient mechanical force. Additionally, we show that the flexoelectric field (EF) can be modulated by adjusting the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip’s scanning direction. Controlled mechanical manipulation reveals the anisotropic switching behavior of ferroelectric domains, with complete switching of smaller domains and partial switching of larger ones at specific angles. These findings provide insights into the angular dependence of the flexoelectric field and its role in domain switching, proposing the possible contribution of anisotropic H-bonding network. This controlled mechanical manipulation of ferroelectric domains offers a pathway to optimize molecular ferroelectrics for future flexible and biocompatible electronic devices.