The fabrication and characterization of a supramolecular Cu-based metallogel thin-film based Schottky diode

Abstract

In the present study, a stable supramolecular Cu(ii)-metallogel has been synthesized based on copper(ii) acetate monohydrate and succinic acid, engineered as a low-molecular-weight organic gelator. The mechanical assets of the Cu-H4L metallogel have been explored through a rheological investigation. Further, the aggregation of the synthesized metallogel has been well establishedviaseveral experiments using Job plots and ESI-MS. Apart from this, the morphology of the synthesized supramolecular metallogel was scrutinizedviaFESEM, TEM, and AFM studies, revealing the self-assembled thread-like morphology of the Cu-H4L metallogel. The functional group, elemental composition, crystalline behaviour, and thermal stability of the Cu-H4L metallogel were probedviaFT-IR, XPS, P-XRD, and TGA studies, respectively. The optical properties of the Cu-H4L metallogel reflected its semiconducting nature. Thus, based on the semiconducting properties of the Cu-H4L metallogel, we have successfully fabricated an active electronic device: a ‘Schottky diode’. © The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 2021.