Investigation of structural, morphological, and electrical conductivity study for understanding transport mechanisms of perovskite CH3NH3HgCl3.

Along with morphological and structural studies, the temperature and frequency dependence of the electrical and dielectric properties of the CH3NH3HgCl3 (MATM) compound was investigated and analyzed. SEM/EDS and XRPD analyses proved the purity, composition, and perovskite structure of the MATM. DSC analysis reveals the existence of an order-disorder phase transition of a first-order type at about 342 ± 2 K and 320 ± 1 K (heating and cooling, respectively), attributed to the disorder of [CH3NH3]+ ions. The overall results of the electrical study provide arguments for the ferroelectric nature of this compound and aim to broaden the current knowledge on the thermally activated conduction mechanisms of the studied compound via impedance spectroscopy. The electrical investigations have shown the dominant transport mechanisms in different frequency and temperature ranges, proposing the CBH model in the ferroelectric phase and the NSPT model in the paraelectric phase. The temperature dependence of the dielectric study reveals the classic ferroelectric nature of the MATM. As for the frequency dependence, it correlates the frequency-dispersive dielectric spectra with the conduction mechanisms and their relaxation processes.