Polymorphs of a copper coordination compound: Interlinking active sites enhance the electrocatalytic activity of the coordination polymer compared to the coordination complex

Abstract

Copper-pyridinedicarboxylic acid produces concomitant polymorphs, a copper complex (Cu-C) and a coordination polymer (Cu-P), which have a similar coordination environment but completely different electrocatalytic activity. Cu-P displayed highly enhanced activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER, η@10 mA cm-2 = 285 mV, jmax = 161.7 mA cm-2) compared to Cu-C (η@10 mA cm-2 = 444 mV, jmax = 48.7 mA cm-2) in a neutral medium.