Three Cd(II) based coordination polymers
(CPs) (1–3) are designed using 3-aminoquinoline
and 5-aminoquinoline
based Schiff base ligands and thiocyanate and dicyanamide as bridging
ligands. Pseudohalide linkers play a crucial role in the architecture
of the CPs. These compounds are prepared under an ambient condition
with high yield. The I–V characteristics
of the 1–3 based thin film devices
(Al/complex interface) under dark and illumination conditions are
nonlinear rectifying nature, which is the signature of a Schottky
barrier diode (SBD). The rectification ratio (I
on/I
off) of the SBDs under dark
condition at ±2 V has been obtained as 16.41, 15.48, and 14.73
and under illumination conditions; the same has been evaluated as
67.18, 46.23, and 37.69 for 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The photoresponsivity of the device is found
to be 5.52, 2.89, and 2.54 for 1, 2, and 3 based SBDs, respectively. The enhancement of conductivity
under photoilluminated conditions depends on π-electron donor
capacity of Schiff base ligands and the length of pseudohalide linkers
of 1–3. Again, depending on the binding
fashion of the coordinating ligands, three CPs (1–3) exhibit different selectivity toward nitroaromatic sensing.
In 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) sensing, CPs follow the order 3 > 2 > 1. CP 3 has
the highest quenching constant among the other two CPs along with
a prominent selectivity and lowest detection limit in response to
TNP.