Charge-transfer induced surface conductivity for a copper based inorganic-organic hybrid

Inorganic-organic hybrids are receiving increasing attention as they offer the opportunity to combine the robust properties of inorganic materials with the versatility of organic compounds. We have studied the electric properties of an inorganic-organic hybrid with the chemical formula: CuCl4(C6H5CH2CH2NH3)(2). This material is a ferromagnetic insulator that can easily be processed from solution. We show that the surface conductivity of the hybrid can be increased by five orders of magnitude by covering the surface with an organic electron donor. This constitutes a novel method to dope perovskite-based materials and study their charge transport properties. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3254328]