Band Gap Engineering, Dark Conductivity, and Photoconductive Properties of Semiconductive Self-Assembled Rhenium Nanotube by Structural Topology Modification

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The tubular nanostructure Repy-MONT, short for Re-based nanoarchitect [{Re(CO) 3 } 6 (bho)(py) 6 ] n (bho = benzene-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaoate, and py = pyridine), exhibits remarkable semiconductor characteristics with an exceptionally low activation energy of approximately 7 meV and high conductivity of 2.35 S/cm. The metal–organic nanotubes possess a distinctive charge-transport behavior, wherein both the internodes and nodes of Repy-MONT, and intermolecular noncovalent interactions significantly contribute to this phenomenon. The distinct structural design facilitates the spatial segregation of electrons and holes, promoting efficient charge transport while mitigating charge recombination. Moreover, Repy-MONT crystals display sensitivity to visible and near-infrared light (405–808 nm). The resulting photocurrent demonstrates a linear correlation with the intensity of illumination. Across a range of 4–50 mW, the responsivity and gain remain almost constant irrespective of the wavelength. Notably, the optimal responsivity (24 A/W) and gain (56) for Repy-MONT crystals are achieved under 808 nm illumination with an intensity of 120 W/m 2 . Computational analyses reveal that Repy-MONT behaves as a semiconductor with a bandgap modulation of 1.5 eV, closely matching the experimental determination of 1.6 eV. These findings underscore the unique attributes of Repy-MONT and its promising potential for applications in microelectronics and optoelectronics.