Crystal structure and electrochemical properties of an interpenetrating MOF constructed by 5-i-butoxyisophthalate and rigid N-donor ligands

Abstract

A new coordination polymer, [Ni(iBuOIPA)(dpb)] (1), was synthesized from 1,4-bis(pyridyl)benzene, 5-i-butoxyisophthalate and nickel acetate by hydrothermal method. Its structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and further characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra and TG analyses. Complex 1 was crystallized in monoclinic crystal system, I2/a space group, and the cell parameters were a = 31.214(2) Å, b = 9.9687(6) Å, c = 22.2981(16) Å, V = 6757.1(8) Å3, Z = 8. Polymer 1 displays a 2D layer which are further interpenetrated each other to construct a three-dimensional network. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the Ni-MOF modified electrode has good catalytic activity to oxygen evolution reaction with a lower overpotential of only 170 mV at 5 mA cm−2 in KOH solution.