Comparative outcomes of the voltage-dependent current density, charge transportation and rectification ratio of electronic devices fabricated using mechanically flexible supramolecular networks

Abstract

In this study, we report the synthetic method of two distinct supramolecular metallogels, namely Mn-BDA and Cd-BDA, using Mn(II) acetate tetrahydrate, Cd(II) acetate dihydrate and butane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (BDA). DMF, a polar aprotic solvent, was immobilized in both metallogel-networks for their synthesis. The metallogelation of Mn-BDA was successfully attained through the instant mixing of a Mn(II)-source and BDA in DMF solvent media. By applying ultrasonication, a Cd-BDA metallogel was prepared. The stoichiometry of gel-forming components concerning metal salts and the LMWG are accountable to obtain respective stable metallogels. Rheological parameters such as storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G′′) explored the mechanical flexibility of the synthesized metallogels through amplitude and angular frequency sweep experiments. Both the metallogels possess significant mechanical stability, which was determined by monitoring diverse gel-to-sol transition shear strain values (γ%). Distinctive morphological visualizations of both of these metallogels (i.e., Mn-BDA and Cd-BDA) were made via field emission scanning electron microscopic (FESEM) studies, demonstrating a fibrous inter-connected network with a hierarchical self-assembled arrangement for Mn(II)-based metallogels and a typical stacked-flake-like association with hierarchical motifs for Cd(II)-based metallogels. EDAX elemental mapping substantiated the presence of metallogel-forming agents such as individual metal acetate salts, BDA acting as a low-molecular weight gelator, and gel-immobilized solvents such as DMF. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ESI-mass spectroscopy were performed for both these supramolecular metallogels. FT-IR spectroscopic and ESI-mass spectroscopic results clearly substantiate the possible non-covalent supramolecular interactions among basic molecular repeating moieties, i.e., butane-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (the low-molecular weight gelator), individual metal salts and gel-immobilized polar aprotic solvent DMF for the construction of distinct stable supramolecular metallogel-systems. The semiconducting property of the fabricated metallogels was investigated. Two Schottky diodes (SDs) composed of ITO/Cd-BDA/Al and ITO/Mn-BDA/Al in a sandwich pattern with Al serving as the metal electrode were fabricated. Both these metallogel-based devices effectively offer significant semiconducting diode features with non-linear J–V characteristics. The non-ohmic conduction protocol of the fabricated metallogel-based devices was explored. Mn-BDA and Cd-BDA metallogel-based fabricated devices have rectification ratios of 6.67 and 23.50, respectively. The gel-based diode performances were examined by observing the voltage-dependent current density, charge transportation and rectification ratio.