A 2D Cu(ii) coordination polymer constructed with 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid linker: synthesis, structural analysis and its selective transformation into Cu and CuO nanoparticles

Copper and copper oxide nanostructures are ubiquitous in materials science owing to their high potential in energy and environment applications. This article describes the utility of a 2D Cu(ii) coordination polymer (2D-CuPDC) derived from 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid linker, as a precursor for selective isolation of Cu and CuO nanostructures. The structure of the coordination polymer has been elucidated from single crystal XRD. The Cu center in 2D-CuPDC is in a distorted square pyramidal geometry with the polymeric unit propagating along the ac-plane when viewed along the a-axis. The thermogravimetric analysis of 2D-CuPDC indicates that it can be an efficient molecular precursor for copper oxide nanoparticles. The solvent assisted and solvent free breakdown of the 2D-CuPDC network revealed the formation of Cu nano-flowers and porous CuO nanostructures, respectively. The crystal structure, phase purity, morphology, elemental composition and band gap of these nanostructures were evaluated from pXRD, electron microscopy, EDS and DRS-UV, respectively. The band gap of these nanostructures lies in the range suitable for photocatalytic applications. This coordination polymer driven synthesis of Cu and CuO nanostructures can be expanded for other technologically important metal and metal oxide nanostructures.