Syntheses, Characterization and DC Electrical Conductivity of Phenylene Imidazole Phenanthroline Dendritic and Linear Metal Complexes: A Comparative Study

Abstract

2-(4-(4,5-Diphenyl-2,5-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]-phenanthroline (DIPIP) was prepared and characterized. DIPIP was used as a ligand (dendron) which was attached to metal ions (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg) as a core via complexation in the ratio 3:1 (L:M) to form a three-branched dendrimer. Linear complexes 1:1 (L:M) were synthesized and their DC electrical conductivity behavior vs. temperature in the range 300–500 K was studied and compared to that of the dendritic complexes. Out of all the prepared metal complexes, the Cu complexes of the annealed dendritic and the linear complexes showed the best electrical conductivity in the range 10⁻¹²–10⁻⁹ Scm⁻¹; a semi-conductor behavior. The dendritic and linear Cu complexes showed a similar electrical conductivity behavior, but the conductivity of linear Cu complex was higher than that of the Cu dendritic complex. The materials were characterized using CHN analyses, FTIR, UV-Visible, ¹H-NMR, X-ray diffraction, and thermal analyses (TGA, DTA).

Keywords:

• DC electrical conductivity
• phenylene imidazole phenanthroline
• dendritic metal complexes
• linear metal complexes