Enhanced charge transport in a Zn(ii) zigzag chain polymer toward photoresponsive Schottky device fabrication

Herein, we report the synthesis of a new Zn(ii)-based coordination polymer (CP), [Zn(DBTP)(4-avp)₂(H₂O)]·(solvent) _x (CP1), using a 2,5-dibromoterephthalic acid (H₂DBTP) and [4-[2-(9-anthryl)vinyl]pyridine (4-avp)] based mixed-ligand system. The synthesized CP1 forms a one-dimensional (1D) zigzag chain architecture through the coordination of DBTP ligands with Zn(ii) centers. Further stabilization through π⋯π stacking interactions causes the creation of a two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular network. Current-voltage (I-V) experiments show that CP1 has semiconducting properties and acts as a Schottky barrier diode. The experimental findings are validated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which include band gap and density of states (DOS) analyses. Notably, the electrical conductivity of CP1 increases significantly from 7.04 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 in the dark to 24.26 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 under light illumination. This enhancement is attributed to the strong light absorption capability of the 4-avp ligands, which act as antenna units to generate and promote charge carriers, thereby improving carrier mobility and overall electrical conductivity. These findings indicate that the synthesized photoresponsive material holds considerable promise for next-generation optoelectronic and energy-related applications. Thus, the present work is expected to inspire further research on functional CPs for advanced energy materials.