Multifunctional coordination polymers based on copper with modified nucleobases, easily modulated in size and conductivity

Abstract In this work, three mono- and bidimensional coordination polymers (CPs) based on Cu(II) and Cu(I) ([Cu2(TAcO)2(C2O4)(4,4′-bpy)]·4H2O (CP1), [Cu2(UAcO)2(C2O4)(4,4′-bpy)]·2H2O (CP2) and [Cu2(TAcO)2(4,4′-bpy)] (CP3)), decorated with thymine and uracil-1-acetate (TAcO and UAcO), 4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bpy) and oxalate are synthetized. The supramolecular structures of the CPs are based on the formation of non-canonical hydrogen bonds established between the free moieties of nucleobases. Interestingly, the presence of Cu(II) centers provide for compound CP1, magnetism and semiconducting properties. Additionally, CP1 has been doped with iodine, increasing its electrical conductivity up to two orders of magnitude. Moreover, the size of the materials can be modulated from millimeters to the nanoscale, depending on the crystallization conditions and/or using ultrasound.