DC Electrical Conductivity of Three-Branched Dendritic and Linear Metal Complexes of N-Substituted Imidazole Phenanthroline Derivatives

Abstract

N-substituted imidazole phenanthroline dendritic metal complexes of 2-(4-(4,5-diphenyl-2,5-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]-phenanthroline, N-phenyl substituted phenylene imidazole derivative (TIPIP) and N,N-dimethyl phenylene imidazole derivative (MIPIP), were synthesized and characterized. DC electrical conductivity behavior vs. temperature in the range 300–500 K of the prepared three-branched metal (II) complexes of Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Hg was studied. Of the entire dendritic metal complexes, Cu(II) complexes showed the best electrical conductivity in the range 10−7–10−12 Scm−1; a semiconductor behavior. For comparison, the linear Cu(II) complexes of TIPIP and MIPIP were synthesized and their electrical conductivity behavior was studied. Linear and dendritic Cu(II) complexes showed consistent DC electrical conductivity behavior. N,N-dimethyl substituted phenylene imidazole (MIPIP) Cu(II) dendritic and linear complexes showed the highest electrical conductivity values which reached 10−7 Scm−1 at high temperatures. The synthesized materials were characterized using CHN analyses, FTIR, UV-visible, 1H-NMR, and thermal analyses (TGA, DTA).