Facile synthesis and characterizations of copper-zinc-10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (Cu-ZnTPyP) coordination polymer with hexagonal micro-lump and micro-prism morphologies

Cu-ZnTPyP coordination polymer with hexagonal micro-lump and micro-prism morphologies has been successfully synthesized through a facile surfactant assisted self-assembly method based on Cu(OAc)2{dot operator}2H2O and Zinc-5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl) porphyrin (ZnTPyP) in DMF/H2O solvent. The morphologies of three-dimensional micro-prisms and micro-lumps obtained at different concentrations of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy. The compositions of the micro-prisms were studied by energy-dispersive spectra and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a circular hexametric cage structure cross-linked by the main Zn-N axial coordination of the pyridyl ligands inside the micro-scale coordination polymers. The UV-Vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy revealed the formation of J-type aggregates in the both microstructures. The formation mechanism of Cu-ZnTPyP coordination polymer structure was investigated by varying CTAB concentration. Their surface photovoltage spectra indicated that the novel hexagonal micro-prism morphology of the coordination polymer displayed enhanced photo response under visible light, which is beneficial for exploiting the practical application of Cu-ZnTPyP compound. © 2014 Elsevier Inc