Facilely and efficiently tuning metal–organic nanostructures of a charge-transfer complex based on a water controlled nanoreaction and the chemistry of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ)

Metal-organic charge-transfer complexes based on 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) have received considerable attention because of their unique solid-state physical properties for potential applications in nanoscale opto-electronic devices. To address the challenge in preparing novel metal-TCNQ (MTCNQ) nanostructures, here we introduce a facile and efficient way for synthesizing MTCNQ, taking Ni[TCNQ]2(H2O)2 as an example. By finely tuning the amount of water added into TCNQ solution, well-ordered and large-scale patterns of Ni[TCNQ]2(H2O)2 were successfully obtained in a controllable manner. This facile method will not only be beneficial for the tailored preparation of nanoscale MTCNQ complexes, but also enrich the chemistry of TCNQ.