Hexaaminobenzene as a building block for a Family of 2D Coordination Polymers

A family of 2D coordination polymers were successfully synthesized through “bottom-up” techniques using Ni 2+, Cu 2+, Co 2+, and hexaaminobenzene. Liquid–liquid and air–liquid interfacial reactions were used to realize thick (∼1–2 μm) and thin (<10 nm) stacked layers of nanosheet, respectively. Atomic-force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy both revealed the smooth and flat nature of the nanosheets. Selected area diffraction was used to elucidate the hexagonal crystal structure of the framework. Electronic devices were fabricated on thin samples of the Ni analogue and they were found to be mildly conducting and also showed back gate dependent conductance.