Exceptionally Stable And Super-Efficient Electrocatalysts Derived From Semiconducting Metal Phosphonate Frameworks.

Two new isostructural semiconducting metal-phosphonate frameworks are reported. Co2 [1,4-NDPA] and Zn2 [1,4-NDPA] (1,4-NDPA4- is 1,4-naphthalenediphosphonate) have optical bandgaps of 1.7 eV and 2.5 eV, respectively. The electrocatalyst derived from Co2 [1,4-NPDA] as a precatalyst generated a low overpotential of 374 mV in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a Tafel slope of 43 mV dec-1 at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline electrolyte (1 mol L-1 KOH), which is indicative of remarkably superior reaction kinetics. Benchmarking of the OER of Co2 [1,4-NPDA] material as a precatalyst coupled with nickel foam (NF) showed exceptional long-term stability at a current density of 50 mA cm-2 for water splitting compared to the state-of-the-art Pt/C/RuO2 @NF after 30 h in 1 mol L-1 KOH. In order to further understand the OER mechanism, the transformation of Co2 [1,4-NPDA] into its electrocatalytically active species was investigated.

A New Family of Layered Metal-Organic Semiconductors: Cu/V-Organophosphonates.

Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a layered redox-active, antiferromagnetic metal organic semiconductor crystals with the chemical formula [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] (where PPA is phenylphosphonate). The crystal structure of [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] shows that the metal phosphonate layers are separated by phenyl groups of the phenyl phosphonate linker. Tauc plotting of diffuse reflectance spectra indicates that [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] has an indirect band gap of 2.19 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicate a complex landscape of energy states with PL peaks at 1.8 and 2.2 eV. [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] has estimated hybrid ionic and electronic conductivity values between 0.13 and 0.6 S m-1 . Temperature-dependent magnetization measurements show that [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] exhibits short range antiferromagnetic order between Cu(II) and V(IV) ions. [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] is also photoluminescent with photoluminescence quantum yield of 0.02%. [Cu(H2 O)2 V(µ-O)(PPA)2 ] shows high electrochemical, and thermal stability.

Tuning Structural and Optical Properties of Porphyrin-based Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks by Metal Insertion.

Herein, a simple way of tuning the optical and structural properties of porphyrin-based hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) is reported. By inserting transition metal ions into the porphyrin cores of GTUB-5 (p-H8 -TPPA (5,10,15,20-Tetrakis[p-phenylphosphonic acid] HOF), the authors show that it is possible to generate HOFs with different band gaps, photoluminescence (PL) life times, and textural properties. The band gaps of the resulting HOFs (viz., Cu-, Ni-, Pd-, and Zn-GTUB-5) are measured by diffuse reflectance and PL spectroscopy, as well as calculated via DFT, and the PL lifetimes are measured. Across the series, the band gaps vary over a narrow range from 1.37 to 1.62 eV, while the PL lifetimes vary over a wide range from 2.3 to 83 ns. These differences ultimately arise from metal-induced structural changes, viz., changes in the metal-to-nitrogen distances, number of hydrogen bonds, and pore volumes. DFT reveals that the band gaps of Cu-, Zn-, and Pd- GTUB-5 are governed by highest occupied/lowest unoccupied crystal orbitals (HOCO/LUCO) composed of π- orbitals on the porphyrin linkers, while that of Ni-GTUB-5 is governed by a HOCO and LUCO composed of Ni dorbitals. Overall, our findings show that metal-insertion can be used to optimize HOFs for optoelectronics and small-molecule capture applications.

A 2,7-dichlorofluorescein derivative to monitor microcalcifications.

Herein, we report the crystal structure of 2,7-dichlorofluorescein methyl ester (DCF-ME) and its fluorescence response to hydroxyapatite binding. The reported fluorophore is very selective for staining the bone matrix and provides turn-on fluorescence upon hydroxyapatite binding. The reported fluorophore can readily pass the cell membrane of the C2C12 cell line, and it is non-toxic for the cell line. The reported fluorophore DCF-ME may find applications in monitoring bone remodeling and microcalcification as an early diagnosis tool for breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration.

Coordination-Induced Band Gap Reduction in a Metal-Organic Framework.

Herein, we report on the synthesis of a microporous, three-dimensional phosphonate metal-organic framework (MOF) with the composition Cu3 (H5 -MTPPA)2 ⋅ 2 NMP (H8 -MTPPA=methane tetra-p-phenylphosphonic acid and NMP=N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone). This MOF, termed TUB1, has a unique one-dimensional inorganic building unit composed of square planar and distorted trigonal bipyramidal copper atoms. It possesses a (calculated) BET surface area of 766.2 m2 /g after removal of the solvents from the voids. The Tauc plot for TUB1 yields indirect and direct band gaps of 2.4 eV and 2.7 eV, respectively. DFT calculations reveal the existence of two spin-dependent gaps of 2.60 eV and 0.48 eV for the alpha and beta spins, respectively, with the lowest unoccupied crystal orbital for both gaps predominantly residing on the square planar copper atoms. The projected density of states suggests that the presence of the square planar copper atoms reduces the overall band gap of TUB1, as the beta-gap for the trigonal bipyramidal copper atoms is 3.72 eV.

Arylphosphonate-Tethered Porphyrins: Fluorescence Silencing Speaks a Metal Language in Living Enterocytes*.

We report the application of a highly versatile and engineerable novel sensor platform to monitor biologically significant and toxic metal ions in live human Caco-2 enterocytes. The extended conjugation between the fluorescent porphyrin core and metal ions through aromatic phenylphosphonic acid tethers generates a unique turn off and turn on fluorescence and, in addition, shifts in absorption and emission spectra for zinc, cobalt, cadmium and mercury. The reported fluorescent probes p-H8 TPPA and m-H8 TPPA can monitor a wide range of metal ion concentrations via fluorescence titration and also via fluorescence decay curves. Cu- and Zn-induced turn off fluorescence can be differentially reversed by the addition of common chelators. Both p-H8 TPPA and m-H8 TPPA readily pass the mammalian cellular membrane due to their amphipathic character as confirmed by confocal microscopic imaging of living enterocytes.

Semiconductive microporous hydrogen-bonded organophosphonic acid frameworks.

Herein, we report a semiconductive, proton-conductive, microporous hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) derived from phenylphosphonic acid and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[p-phenylphosphonic acid] porphyrin (GTUB5). The structure of GTUB5 was characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction. A narrow band gap of 1.56 eV was extracted from a UV-Vis spectrum of pure GTUB5 crystals, in excellent agreement with the 1.65 eV band gap obtained from DFT calculations. The same band gap was also measured for GTUB5 in DMSO. The proton conductivity of GTUB5 was measured to be 3.00 × 10-6 S cm-1 at 75 °C and 75% relative humidity. The surface area was estimated to be 422 m2 g-1 from grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations. XRD showed that GTUB5 is thermally stable under relative humidities of up to 90% at 90 °C. These findings pave the way for a new family of organic, microporous, and semiconducting materials with high surface areas and high thermal stabilities.

A Nanotubular Metal-Organic Framework with a Narrow Bandgap from Extended Conjugation*.

A one-dimensional nanotubular metal-organic framework (MOF) [Ni(Cu-H4 TPPA)]⋅2 (CH3 )2 NH2 + (H8 TPPA=5,10,15,20-tetrakis[p-phenylphosphonic acid] porphyrin) constructed by using the arylphosphonic acid H8 TPPA is reported. The structure of this MOF, known as GTUB-4, was solved by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and its geometric accessible surface area was calculated to be 1102 m2 g-1 , making it the phosphonate MOF with the highest reported surface area. Due to the extended conjugation of its porphyrin core, GTUB-4 possesses narrow indirect and direct bandgaps (1.9 eV and 2.16 eV, respectively) in the semiconductor regime. Thermogravimetric analysis suggests that GTUB-4 is thermally stable up to 400 °C. Owing to its high surface area, low bandgap, and high thermal stability, GTUB-4 could find applications as electrodes in supercapacitors.

Phosphonate Metal-Organic Frameworks: A Novel Family of Semiconductors.

Herein, the first semiconducting and magnetic phosphonate metal-organic framework (MOF), TUB75, is reported, which contains a 1D inorganic building unit composed of a zigzag chain of corner-sharing copper dimers. The solid-state UV-vis spectrum of TUB75 reveals the existence of a narrow bandgap of 1.4 eV, which agrees well with the density functional theory (DFT)-calculated bandgap of 1.77 eV. Single-crystal conductivity measurements for different orientations of the individual crystals yield a range of conductances from 10-3 to 103 S m-1 at room temperature, pointing to the directional nature of the electrical conductivity in TUB75. Magnetization measurements show that TUB75 is composed of antiferromagnetically coupled copper dimer chains. Due to their rich structural chemistry and exceptionally high thermal/chemical stabilities, phosphonate MOFs like TUB75 may open new vistas in engineerable electrodes for supercapacitors.

Fluorescent Arylphosphonic Acids: Synergic Interactions between Bone and the Fluorescent Core.

Herein, we report the third generation of fluorescent probes (arylphosphonic acids) to target calcifications, particularly hydroxyapatite (HAP). In this study, we use highly conjugated porphyrin-based arylphosphonic acids and their diesters, namely 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[m-(diethoxyphosphoryl)phenyl]porphyrin (m-H8 TPPA-OEt8 ) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis [m-phenylphosphonic acid]porphyrin (m-H8 TPPA), in comparison with their positional isomers 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[p-(diisopropoxyphosphoryl)phenyl]porphyrin (p-H8 TPPA-iPr8 ) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis [p-phenylphosphonic acid]porphyrin (p-H8 TPPA), which have phosphonic acid units bonded to sp2 carbon atoms of the fluorescent core. The conjugation of the fluorescent core is thus extended to the (HAP) through sp2 -bonded -PO3 H2 units, which generates increased fluorescence upon HAP binding. The resulting fluorescent probes are highly sensitive towards the HAP in rat bone sections. The designed probes are readily taken up by cells. Due to the lower reported toxicity of (p-H8 TPPA), these probes could find applications in monitoring bone resorption or adsorption, or imaging vascular or soft tissue calcifications for breast cancer diagnosis etc.

Alkali Phosphonate Metal-Organic Frameworks.

A new family of porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely alkali phosphonate MOFs, is reported. [Na2 Cu(H4 TPPA)]⋅(NH2 (CH3 )2 )2 (GTUB-1) was synthesized using the tetratopic 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[p-phenylphosphonic acid] porphyrin (H8 -TPPA) linker with planar X-shaped geometrical core. GTUB-1 is composed of rectangular void channels with BET surface area of 697 m2 g-1 . GTUB-1 exhibits exceptional thermal stability. The toxicity analysis of the (H8 -TPPA) linker indicates that it is well tolerated by an intestinal cell line, suggesting its suitability for creating phosphonate MOFs for biological applications.

Correction: A cobalt arylphosphonate MOF - superior stability, sorption and magnetism.

Correction for 'A cobalt arylphosphonate MOF - superior stability, sorption and magnetism' by Yunus Zorlu et al., Chem. Commun., 2019, DOI: 10.1039/c8cc09655d.

A cobalt arylphosphonate MOF - superior stability, sorption and magnetism.

We report a novel metal-organic framework (MOF) based on a cobalt arylphosphonate, namely, [Co2(H4-MTPPA)]·3NMP·H2O (1·3NMP·H2O), which was prepared solvothermically from the tetrahedral linker tetraphenylmethane tetrakis-4-phosphonic acid (H8-MTPPA) and CoSO4·7H2O in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Compound 1 has the highest porosity (BET surface area of 1034 m2 g-1) ever reported for a MOF based on an aryl phosphonic acid linker. The indigo blue crystals of 1·3NMP·H2O are composed of edge-shared eight-membered Co2P2O4 rings, and are thermally very stable up to 500 °C.

A potential Cu/V-organophosphonate platform for tailored void spaces via terpyridine mold casting.

The reaction of appropriate copper and vanadium salts with tetratopic methane tetra-p-phenylphosphonic acid (MTPPA) in the presence of 2,2':6':2''-terpyridine (terpy) yielded the three-dimensional bimetallic copper vanadium phosphonate framework [{Cu(terpy)}4Cu(VO2)4(MTPPA-H)2]·4H2O (1). Terpy has no net contribution to the three-dimensional structure providing a potential platform for void space formation via mold-casting. The structure was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Magnetic measurements were performed using a SQUID magnetometer. The crystal structure of the methanol solvate of the free ligand, MTPPA·MeOH, was analysed using Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots.

Influence of alkyl chain length on the surface activity of antibacterial polymers derived from ROMP.

The purpose of this study is to understand the antibacterial properties of cationic polymers on solid surfaces by investigating the structure-activity relationships. The polymer synthesis was carried via ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of oxanorbornene derivatives. Modulation of molecular weights and alkyl chain lengths of the polymers were studied to investigate the antibacterial properties on the glass surface. Fluorescein (Na salt) staining contact angle measurements were used to characterize the positive charge density and hydrophobicity on the polymer coated surfaces. Positive charge density for the surface coated polymers with molecular weights of 3000 and 10,000 g mol(-1) is observed to be in the range of 2.3-28.5 nmol cm(-2). The ROMP based cationic pyridinium polymer with hexyl unit exhibited the highest bactericidal efficiency against Escherichia coli on solid surface killing 99% of the bacteria in 5 min. However, phenyl and octyl functionalized quaternary pyridinium groups exhibited lower biocidal properties on the solid surfaces compared to their solution phase biocidal properties. Studying the effect of threshold polymer concentrations on the antibacterial properties indicated that changing the concentrations of polymer coatings on the solid surface dramatically influences antibacterial efficiency.

Solid state coordination chemistry of the copper(ii)-terpyridine/oxovanadium organophosphonate system: hydrothermal syntheses, structural characterization and magnetic properties.

The hydrothermal reactions of CuSO4.5H2O, Na3VO4, 2,2':6':2''-terpyridine (terpy), and the appropriate organophosphonate ligand yield a series of materials of the Cu(ii)-terpy/oxovanadium organophosphonate family. The complexes exhibit distinct structures spanning one-, two- and three-dimensions and exhibiting diverse oxovanadium building blocks. Thus, [{Cu(terpy)}(V2O4)(O3PPh)(HO3PPh)2] (1) is one-dimensional and constructed from binuclear units of corner-sharing V(v) square pyramids. While [{Cu(terpy)}VO(O3PCH2PO3)] (2), [{Cu(terpy)}2(V4O10)(O3PCH2CH2PO3)] (3), and [{Cu(terpy)}(V2O4){O3P(CH2)3PO3}].2.5H(2)O (4.2.5H2O) are similarly one-dimensional, the V/O structural components consist of isolated V(iv) square pyramids, tetranuclear V(v) units of three tetrahedra and one square pyramid in a corner-sharing arrangement, and isolated V(v) tetrahedra and square pyramids, respectively. The second propylenediphosphonate derivative, [{Cu(terpy)}(V2O4){O3P(CH2)3PO3}] (5) is three-dimensional and exhibits isolated V(v) tetrahedra as the vanadate component. The two-dimensional structure of [{Cu(terpy)(H2O)}(V3O6){O3P(CH2)4PO3}] (6) is mixed valence with isolated V(iv) square pyramids and binuclear units of corner-sharing V(v) tetrahedra providing the V/O substructures.