Phonons under pressure in a barocaloric framework material

Conventional vapour-compression refrigeration relies on refrigerants that contribute both to global warming and ozone depletion. Barocaloric materials, in which a large isothermal entropy change is associated with a pressure-induced phase transition, offer an eco-friendly alternative. The framework material TPrAMn(dca)3 has recently been shown to have a giant barocaloric effect, due to an order-disorder phase transition involving both the dca and TPrA ions. Understanding the dynamics of this material under pressure is vital to explaining and optimising this material’s functional behaviour. In this proposal, we aim to do this by measuring the phonon dispersion on MERLIN. Together with our scheduled study of this material’s crystallographic structure on GEM, this will provide a complete picture of this material’s remarkable properties.