We
report the synthesis and characterization of a two-dimensional
(2D) conjugated Ni(II) tetraaza[14]annulene-linked metal organic framework
(NiTAA-MOF) where NiTAA is a macrocyclic
MN4 (M = metal, N = nitrogen) compound. The structure of NiTAA-MOF was elucidated by Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray
photoemission, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopies, in combination
with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. When chemically
oxidized by iodine, the insulating bulk NiTAA-MOF (σ
< 10–10 S/cm) exhibits an electrical conductivity
of 0.01 S/cm at 300 K, demonstrating the vital role of ligand oxidation
in the electrical conductivity of 2D MOFs. Magnetization measurements
show that iodine-doped NiTAA-MOF is paramagnetic with
weak antiferromagnetic coupling due to the presence of organic radicals
of oxidized ligands and high-spin Ni(II) sites of the missing-linker
defects. In addition to providing further insights into the origin
of the induced electrical conductivity in 2D MOFs, both pristine and
iodine-doped NiTAA-MOF synthesized in this work could
find potential applications in areas such as catalase mimics, catalysis,
energy storage, and dynamic nuclear polarization-nuclear magnetic
resonance (DNP-NMR).