Iodine uptake enhanced electrical conductivity by a metal-organic framework bearing nanotube array of π-stacked columns

In comparison with the intensive attention paid on porous electron-conductive metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), regenerable and solution-processable porous conductive supramolecular self-assemblies constructed via non-covalent interactions are far less explored. Here, an array of discrete hexagonal nanotubes consisting of π-stacked columns is assembled. The nanotube is formed by the alternative column-stacking of a cylindrical capsule {[MnLCl(DMF)]·Cl·dnbn}6 and a macrocycle {dnbn}6 (DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide, L = tris(2-naphthimidazolylmethyl)amine, and dnbn = 3,5-dinitrobenzonitrile). Electrical conductivity study revealed that iodine uptake leads to two orders conductivity enhancement.