Electrical semiconduction modulated by light in a cobalt and naphthalene diimide metal-organic framework

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 2139 - 8
• Main Authors: Castaldelli, Evandro, Imalka Jayawardena, K. D. G., Cox, David C., Clarkson, Guy J., Walton, Richard I., Le-Quang, Long, Chauvin, Jerôme, Silva, S. Ravi P., Demets, Grégoire Jean-François
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 15.12.2017; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/301/1005/1007; 639/638/298/921; 639/638/911; Absorption spectra; Catalysis; Cobalt; Diimide; Drug delivery; Drug delivery systems; Electronic devices; Electronic equipment; Fabrication; Humanities and Social Sciences; Metal-organic frameworks; multidisciplinary; Naphthalene; Porous materials; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Semiconduction; Semiconductivity
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02215-7

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an exciting class of porous materials that can be structurally designed by choosing particular components according to desired applications. Despite the wide interest in and many potential applications of MOFs, such as in gas storage, catalysis, sensing and drug delivery, electrical semiconductivity and its control is still rare. The use and fabrication of electronic devices with MOF-based components has not been widely explored, despite significant progress of these components made in recent years. Here we report the synthesis and properties of a new highly crystalline, electrochemically active, cobalt and naphthalene diimide-based MOF that is an efficient electrical semiconductor and has a broad absorption spectrum, from 300 to 2500 nm. Its semiconductivity was determined by direct voltage bias using a four-point device, and it features a wavelength dependant photoconductive–photoresistive dual behaviour, with a very high responsivity of 2.5 × 10 5  A W −1 . Photoactive and semiconducting metal-organic frameworks are desirable for electrical and photoelectrical devices, but remain rare. Here Demets and co-workers design a naphthalene diimide and cobalt based MOF with anisotropic electrical semiconductivity and a high responsivity of 2.5 × 10 5  A W −1 .