Highly Conducting Neutral Coordination Polymer with Infinite Two-Dimensional Silver-Sulfur Networks

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid-State Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Coordination polymers offer tunable electronic properties.
• Silver-based materials are explored for conductive applications.
• Benzenehexathiol (BHT) is a versatile ligand for creating extended networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize highly crystalline films of a novel silver-based coordination polymer, [Ag5(C6S6)]n (Ag-BHT).
• To elucidate the structure-property relationships governing the electrical conductivity of Ag-BHT films.
• To investigate the electronic origins of the observed conductivity.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of highly crystalline Ag-BHT films.
• Structure determination using rotation electron diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction.
• Electrical conductivity measurements at 300 K.
• Electronic characterization via ultraviolet-photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and electronic band structure calculations.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized highly crystalline Ag-BHT films with a lamellar structure.
• The structure features alternating two-dimensional Ag-S networks and one-dimensional metal-dithiolene polymer layers.
• Achieved high electrical conductivity up to 250 S·cm-1 at 300 K.
• UPS and calculations confirmed a partially filled valence band contributing to conductivity.

Conclusions:

• The unique two-dimensional Ag-S networks are crucial for the high electrical conductivity of Ag-BHT.
• The partially filled valence band is a key electronic feature enabling efficient charge transport.
• Ag-BHT represents a promising material for advanced electronic applications.