Self-Healing\nSupramolecular Flexible Network of Zn(II):\nExploring Chemo-Responsiveness, Antimicrobial Efficiency, and Variable\nMicroelectronic Device Performances

The Zn(II)-supramolecular metallogel (i.e., Zn-Py) of\n2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic\nacid was prepared through the addition of a metal source and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic\nacid as a low molecular weight gelator. The Zn-Py metallogel encapsulated <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′-dimethylformamide as gel-immobilized\npolar aprotic solvent media. The mechanical features of the synthesized\nmetallogel were investigated. The thixotropic behavior of the Zn-Py\nmetallogel was also analyzed. The microscopic feature of the metallogel\nwas imaged through FESEM and TEM studies. The EDS pattern of the metallogel\nratified the role of different gel-building chemical constituents.\nThe stimuli responsiveness of the metallogel was also tested. The\nmetallogel-forming mechanistic protocol was visualized through FTIR\nand ESI mass spectroscopic analyses. The bioeffectiveness, i.e., antimicrobial\npotency, of Zn-Py was also studied. The antimicrobial efficiency against\nboth Gram +ve and Gram −ve bacteria including Salmonella typhimurium (MTCC 98), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1667), Bacillus\ncereus (ATCC 13061), Listeria monocytogenes (MTCC 657), and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 96) was critically analyzed. The FESEM images of the live\nbacteria and damaged bacteria due to the action of the metallogel\nwere experimentally investigated. The Zn-Py metallogel was also used\nto fabricate the heterojunction and Schottky-type photodetectors to\nshow their excellent light–matter interaction and their potentiality\nas active material in optoelectronics. The electrical parameters of\nsemiconductor diodes such as the p–n junction and Schottky\ndiode fabricated by the synthesized Zn-Py metallogel were investigated.\nOutcomes of the experimental investigation demonstrated that the tested\nmetallogel effectively showed p–n junction diode parameters,\nespecially with the ideality factor (η) of 1.3 under a dark\nenvironment. This fabricated device efficiently depicted a great ON/OFF\nratio of 33.4 at a reverse bias voltage of −2 V. The metal–semiconductor–metal\n(M-S-M) junction-type Schottky barrier diode was also fabricated using\nthe Zn-Py metallogel where the Au/Zn-Py metallogel/Au-based device\nfabrication strategy was implemented.