Integrating Low-Temperature-Resistant Two-Dimensional Elastic-Bending and Reconfigurable Plastic-Twisting Deformations into an Organic Crystal.

Abstract

Integrating plasticity and elasticity in anisotropic molecular crystals is theoretically possible and is beneficial in enabling rich and complex deformations; however, it is much harder to implement in practice. Herein, we report a centimeter-long organic crystal that is two-dimensionally (2D) elastically bendable not only at room temperature but also at ultralow temperatures (-196 °C). The straight crystal can also be manually twisted and reconfigured to form arbitrary right-handed or left-handed helical structures. The integration of low-temperature-resistant (LTR) 2D elastic-bending and reconfigurable plastic-twisting deformations into one organic crystal expands the perspectives of the emerging crystal flexibility. Taking advantage of the unique multiple flexibility characteristics, spatial controllability of optical transmission for cryogenic applications and reusability of light-polarization rotations have been implemented simultaneously in an organic crystal.