Nature Communications (Oct 2024)

Synthesis and structure of a non-van-der-Waals two-dimensional coordination polymer with superconductivity

  • Zhichao Pan,
  • Xing Huang,
  • Yunlong Fan,
  • Shaoze Wang,
  • Yiyu Liu,
  • Xuzhong Cong,
  • Tingsong Zhang,
  • Shichao Qi,
  • Ying Xing,
  • Yu-Qing Zheng,
  • Jian Li,
  • Xiaoming Zhang,
  • Wei Xu,
  • Lei Sun,
  • Jian Wang,
  • Jin-Hu Dou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53786-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Two-dimensional conjugated coordination polymers exhibit remarkable charge transport properties, with copper-based benzenehexathiol (Cu-BHT) being a rare superconductor. However, the atomic structure of Cu-BHT has remained unresolved, hindering a deeper understanding of the superconductivity in such materials. Here, we show the synthesis of single crystals of Cu3BHT with high crystallinity, revealing a quasi-two-dimensional kagome structure with non-van der Waals interlayer Cu-S covalent bonds. These crystals exhibit intrinsic metallic behavior, with conductivity reaching 103 S/cm at 300 K and 104 S/cm at 2 K. Notably, superconductivity in Cu3BHT crystals is observed at 0.25 K, attributed to enhanced electron-electron interactions and electron-phonon coupling in the non-van der Waals structure. The discovery of this clear correlation between atomic-level crystal structure and electrical properties provides a crucial foundation for advancing superconductor coordination polymers, with potential to revolutionize future quantum devices.