Integration of a (-Cu-S-)n plane in a metal-organic framework affords high electrical conductivity

Abhishek Pathak; Jing-Wen Shen; Muhammad Usman; Ling-Fang Wei; Shruti Mendiratta; Yu-Shin Chang; Batjargal Sainbileg; Chin-May Ngue; Ruei-San Chen; Michitoshi Hayashi; Tzuoo-Tsair Luo; Fu-Rong Chen; Kuei-Hsien Chen; Tien-Wen Tseng; Li-Chyong Chen; Kuang-Lieh Lu

doi:10.1038/s41467-019-09682-0

Integration of a (-Cu-S-)_n plane in a metal-organic framework affords high electrical conductivity

Nat Commun. 2019 Apr 12;10(1):1721. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09682-0.

Authors

Abhishek Pathak^{1

2

3}, Jing-Wen Shen⁴, Muhammad Usman¹, Ling-Fang Wei¹, Shruti Mendiratta¹, Yu-Shin Chang⁵, Batjargal Sainbileg^{6

7}, Chin-May Ngue¹, Ruei-San Chen⁵, Michitoshi Hayashi^{6

7}, Tzuoo-Tsair Luo¹, Fu-Rong Chen², Kuei-Hsien Chen^{6

8}, Tien-Wen Tseng⁴, Li-Chyong Chen^{6

7}, Kuang-Lieh Lu⁹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan.
² Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan.
³ Nano Science and Technology Program, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan and National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
⁵ Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
⁶ Center for Condensed Matter Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
⁷ Center of Atomic Initiative for New Materials, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
⁸ Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
⁹ Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan. kllu@gate.sinica.edu.tw.

Abstract

Designing highly conducting metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is currently a subject of great interest for their potential applications in diverse areas encompassing energy storage and generation. Herein, a strategic design in which a metal-sulfur plane is integrated within a MOF to achieve high electrical conductivity, is successfully demonstrated. The MOF {[Cu₂(6-Hmna)(6-mn)]·NH₄}_n (1, 6-Hmna = 6-mercaptonicotinic acid, 6-mn = 6-mercaptonicotinate), consisting of a two dimensional (-Cu-S-)_n plane, is synthesized from the reaction of Cu(NO₃)₂, and 6,6'-dithiodinicotinic acid via the in situ cleavage of an S-S bond under hydrothermal conditions. A single crystal of the MOF is found to have a low activation energy (6 meV), small bandgap (1.34 eV) and a highest electrical conductivity (10.96 S cm^-1) among MOFs for single crystal measurements. This approach provides an ideal roadmap for producing highly conductive MOFs with great potential for applications in batteries, thermoelectric, supercapacitors and related areas.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't