Cu3(hexaiminotriphenylene)2: An Electrically Conductive 2D Metal–Organic Framework for Chemiresistive Sensing

Abstract

The utility of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as functional materials in electronic devices has been limited to date by a lack of MOFs that display high electrical conductivity. Here, we report the synthesis of a new electrically conductive 2D MOF, Cu 3(HITP)2 (HITP=2,3,6,7,10,11‐hexaiminotriphenylene), which displays a bulk conductivity of 0.2 S cm−1 (pellet, two‐point‐probe). Devices synthesized by simple drop casting of Cu 3(HITP)2 dispersions function as reversible chemiresistive sensors, capable of detecting sub‐ppm levels of ammonia vapor. Comparison with the isostructural 2D MOF Ni 3(HITP)2 shows that the copper sites are critical for ammonia sensing, indicating that rational design/synthesis can be used to tune the functional properties of conductive MOFs.