| Description |
Graphene has been touted as the "Wonder Material of the 21st Century"; however, the structural modification of graphene to attain specific properties still remains a considerable challenge. As a plausible solution to the problem, coordination polymers resembling graphene were designed and synthesized using interfacial synthesis strategies. Using hexaaminobenzene and first-row transition metals, we created robust, self-standing two-dimensional coordination polymers, which were then characterized by surface analytical techniques such as AFM, XPS, and electron microscopy techniques like SEM and TEM. Furthermore, functional electronic devices were fabricated using these polymers which were shown to be electrically conductive. As an extension of the above methodology, we were able to utilize a modified liquid-liquid interfacial synthesis to generate a family of heavy metal-based 2D graphene analogs as potential topological insulator materials. These were then extensively characterized using SEM, EDS, TEM, IR, and XPS. In the next section, the potential of coordination polymers as thermoelectric devices was investigated using copper benzenehexathiol. Interestingly, this material was found to exhibit the highest power conversion efficiency of a MOF. The liquid-liquid interfacial synthesis is considered the state-of-the-art technique for the synthesis of 2D coordination polymers. However, a number of issues plague this technique and hinder the advancement of coordination polymers into an industrial setting. iv We have investigated and developed a novel chemical vapor deposition route to generate coordianation polymers which is scalable and generates extremely uniform films. Optimization of reaction parameters led to the formation of large single-crystal CPs. In the last chapter, we have looked into the scope of synthetic development via transmetallation that can rapidly generate a large library of mixed-ligand polymers. Also, the unexplored potential of coordination polymers as electrode materials was investigated using Cu-BHT as the cathode. Surprisingly, it was found to exhibit a high reversible capacity of 224 mAh/g and remarkable chemical stabilty. |
