Enhanced Benzene Adsorption in Chloro-Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks.

The functionalization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to enhance the adsorption of benzene at trace levels remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the exceptional adsorption of trace benzene in a series of zirconium-based MOFs functionalized with chloro groups. Notably, MFM-68-Cl2, constructed from an anthracene linker incorporating chloro groups, exhibits a remarkable benzene uptake of 4.62 mmol g-1 at 298 K and 0.12 mbar, superior to benchmark materials. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, and inelastic neutron scattering, coupled with density functional theory modeling, reveal the mechanism of binding of benzene in these materials. Overall, the excellent adsorption performance is promoted by an unprecedented cooperation between chloro-groups, the optimized pore size, aromatic functionality, and the flexibility of the linkers in response to benzene uptake in MFM-68-Cl2. This study represents the first example of enhanced adsorption of trace benzene promoted by -CH···Cl and Cl···π interactions in porous materials.

A robust aluminum-octacarboxylate framework with scu topology for selective capture of sulfur dioxide.

The high structural diversity and porosity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) promote their applications in selective gas adsorption. The development of robust MOFs that are stable against corrosive SO2 remains a daunting challenge. Here, we report a highly robust aluminum-based MOF (HIAM-330) built on a 4-connected Al3(OH)2(COO)4 cluster and 8-connected octacarboxylate ligand with a (4,8)-connected scu topology. It exhibits a fully reversible SO2 uptake of 12.1 mmol g-1 at 298 K and 1 bar. It is capable of selective capture of SO2 over other gases (CO2, CH4, and N2) with high adsorption selectivities of 60, 330, and 3537 for equimolar mixtures of SO2/CO2, SO2/CH4, and SO2/N2, respectively, at 298 K and 1 bar. Breakthrough measurements verified the capability of HIAM-330 for selective capture of SO2 (2500 ppm) over CO2 or N2. High-resolution synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction of SO2 loaded HIAM-330 revealed the binding domains of adsorbed SO2 molecules and host-guest interactions.

Exceptional capture of methane at low pressure by an iron-based metal-organic framework.

The selective capture of methane (CH4) at low concentrations and its separation from N2 are extremely challenging owing to the weak host-guest interactions between CH4 molecules and any sorbent material. Here, we report the exceptional adsorption of CH4 at low pressure and the efficient separation of CH4/N2 by MFM-300(Fe). MFM-300(Fe) shows a very high uptake for CH4 of 0.85 mmol g-1 at 1 mbar and 298 K and a record CH4/N2 selectivity of 45 for porous solids, representing a new benchmark for CH4 capture and CH4/N2 separation. The excellent separation of CH4/N2 by MFM-300(Fe) has been confirmed by dynamic breakthrough experiments. In situ neutron powder diffraction, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopies, coupled with modelling, reveal a unique and strong binding of CH4 molecules involving Fe-OH⋯CH4 and C⋯phenyl ring interactions within the pores of MFM-300(Fe), thus promoting the exceptional adsorption of CH4 at low pressure.

Direct Conversion of Methane to Ethylene and Acetylene over an Iron-Based Metal-Organic Framework.

Conversion of methane (CH4) to ethylene (C2H4) and/or acetylene (C2H2) enables routes to a wide range of products directly from natural gas. However, high reaction temperatures and pressures are often required to activate and convert CH4 controllably, and separating C2+ products from unreacted CH4 can be challenging. Here, we report the direct conversion of CH4 to C2H4 and C2H2 driven by non-thermal plasma under ambient (25 °C and 1 atm) and flow conditions over a metal-organic framework material, MFM-300(Fe). The selectivity for the formation of C2H4 and C2H2 reaches 96% with a high time yield of 334 µmol gcat-1 h-1. At a conversion of 10%, the selectivity to C2+ hydrocarbons and time yield exceed 98% and 2056 µmol gcat-1 h-1, respectively, representing a new benchmark for conversion of CH4. In situ neutron powder diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopies, coupled with modeling studies, reveal the crucial role of Fe-O(H)-Fe sites in activating CH4 and stabilizing reaction intermediates via the formation of an Fe-O(CH3)-Fe adduct. In addition, a cascade fixed-bed system has been developed to achieve online separation of C2H4 and C2H2 from unreacted CH4 for direct use. Integrating the processes of CH4 activation, conversion, and product separation within one system opens a new avenue for natural gas utility, bridging the gap between fundamental studies and practical applications in this area.

Temperature-dependent rearrangement of gas molecules in ultramicroporous materials for tunable adsorption of CO2 and C2H2.

The interactions between adsorbed gas molecules within porous metal-organic frameworks are crucial to gas selectivity but remain poorly explored. Here, we report the modulation of packing geometries of CO2 and C2H2 clusters within the ultramicroporous CUK-1 material as a function of temperature. In-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction reveals a unique temperature-dependent reversal of CO2 and C2H2 adsorption affinities on CUK-1, which is validated by gas sorption and dynamic breakthrough experiments, affording high-purity C2H2 (99.95%) from the equimolar mixture of C2H2/CO2 via a one-step purification process. At low temperatures (<253 K), CUK-1 preferentially adsorbs CO2 with both high selectivity (>10) and capacity (170 cm3 g-1) owing to the formation of CO2 tetramers that simultaneously maximize the guest-guest and host-guest interactions. At room temperature, conventionally selective adsorption of C2H2 is observed. The selectivity reversal, structural robustness, and facile regeneration of CUK-1 suggest its potential for producing high-purity C2H2 by temperature-swing sorption.

Bimetallic Aluminum- and Niobium-Doped MCM-41 for Efficient Conversion of Biomass-Derived 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran to Pentadienes.

The production of conjugated C4-C5 dienes from biomass can enable the sustainable synthesis of many important polymers and liquid fuels. Here, we report the first example of bimetallic (Nb, Al)-atomically doped mesoporous silica, denoted as AlNb-MCM-41, which affords quantitative conversion of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) to pentadienes with a high selectivity of 91 %. The incorporation of AlIII and NbV sites into the framework of AlNb-MCM-41 has effectively tuned the nature and distribution of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites within the structure. Operando X-ray absorption, diffuse reflectance infrared and solid-state NMR spectroscopy collectively reveal the molecular mechanism of the conversion of adsorbed 2-MTHF over AlNb-MCM-41. Specifically, the atomically-dispersed NbV sites play an important role in binding 2-MTHF to drive the conversion. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hetero-atomic mesoporous solids for the manufacture of renewable materials.

Direct photo-oxidation of methane to methanol over a mono-iron hydroxyl site.

Natural gas, consisting mainly of methane (CH4), has a relatively low energy density at ambient conditions (~36 kJ l-1). Partial oxidation of CH4 to methanol (CH3OH) lifts the energy density to ~17 MJ l-1 and drives the production of numerous chemicals. In nature, this is achieved by methane monooxygenase with di-iron sites, which is extremely challenging to mimic in artificial systems due to the high dissociation energy of the C-H bond in CH4 (439 kJ mol-1) and facile over-oxidation of CH3OH to CO and CO2. Here we report the direct photo-oxidation of CH4 over mono-iron hydroxyl sites immobilized within a metal-organic framework, PMOF-RuFe(OH). Under ambient and flow conditions in the presence of H2O and O2, CH4 is converted to CH3OH with 100% selectivity and a time yield of 8.81 ± 0.34 mmol gcat-1 h-1 (versus 5.05 mmol gcat-1 h-1 for methane monooxygenase). By using operando spectroscopic and modelling techniques, we find that confined mono-iron hydroxyl sites bind CH4 by forming an [Fe-OH···CH4] intermediate, thus lowering the barrier for C-H bond activation. The confinement of mono-iron hydroxyl sites in a porous matrix demonstrates a strategy for C-H bond activation in CH4 to drive the direct photosynthesis of CH3OH.

Bimetallic Aluminum- and Niobium-Doped MCM-41 for Efficient Conversion of Biomass-Derived 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran to Pentadienes.

The production of conjugated C4-C5 dienes from biomass can enable the sustainable synthesis of many important polymers and liquid fuels. Here, we report the first example of bimetallic (Nb, Al)-atomically doped mesoporous silica, denoted as AlNb-MCM-41, which affords quantitative conversion of 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF) to pentadienes with a high selectivity of 91 %. The incorporation of AlIII and NbV sites into the framework of AlNb-MCM-41 has effectively tuned the nature and distribution of Lewis and Brønsted acid sites within the structure. Operando X-ray absorption, diffuse reflectance infrared and solid-state NMR spectroscopy collectively reveal the molecular mechanism of the conversion of adsorbed 2-MTHF over AlNb-MCM-41. Specifically, the atomically-dispersed NbV sites play an important role in binding 2-MTHF to drive the conversion. Overall, this study highlights the potential of hetero-atomic mesoporous solids for the manufacture of renewable materials.

Purification of Propylene and Ethylene by a Robust Metal-Organic Framework Mediated by Host-Guest Interactions.

Industrial purification of propylene and ethylene requires cryogenic distillation and selective hydrogenation over palladium catalysts to remove propane, ethane and/or trace amounts of acetylene. Here, we report the excellent separation of equimolar mixtures of propylene/propane and ethylene/ethane, and of a 1/100 mixture of acetylene/ethylene by a highly robust microporous material, MFM-520, under dynamic conditions. In situ synchrotron single crystal X-ray diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering and analysis of adsorption thermodynamic parameters reveal that a series of synergistic host-guest interactions involving hydrogen bonding and π⋅⋅⋅π stacking interactions underpin the cooperative binding of alkenes within the pore. Notably, the optimal pore geometry of the material enables selective accommodation of acetylene. The practical potential of this porous material has been demonstrated by fabricating mixed-matrix membranes comprising MFM-520, Matrimid and PIM-1, and these exhibit not only a high permeability for propylene (≈1984 Barrer), but also a separation factor of 7.8 for an equimolar mixture of propylene/propane at 298 K.

Selective Gas Uptake and Rotational Dynamics in a (3,24)-Connected Metal-Organic Framework Material.

The desolvated (3,24)-connected metal-organic framework (MOF) material, MFM-160a, [Cu3(L)(H2O)3] [H6L = 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-tris(aminophenyl-4-isophthalic acid)], exhibits excellent high-pressure uptake of CO2 (110 wt% at 20 bar, 298 K) and highly selective separation of C2 hydrocarbons from CH4 at 1 bar pressure. Henry's law selectivities of 79:1 for C2H2:CH4 and 70:1 for C2H4:CH4 at 298 K are observed, consistent with ideal adsorption solution theory (IAST) predictions. Significantly, MFM-160a shows a selectivity of 16:1 for C2H2:CO2. Solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopic studies on partially deuterated MFM-160-d12 confirm an ultra-low barrier (∼2 kJ mol-1) to rotation of the phenyl group in the activated MOF and a rotation rate 5 orders of magnitude slower than usually observed for solid-state materials (1.4 × 106 Hz cf. 1011-1013 Hz). Upon introduction of CO2 or C2H2 into desolvated MFM-160a, this rate of rotation was found to increase with increasing gas pressure, a phenomenon attributed to the weakening of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in the triazine-containing linker upon gas binding. DFT calculations of binding energies and interactions of CO2 and C2H2 around the triazine core are entirely consistent with the 2H NMR spectroscopic observations.

Reversible MOF-Based Sensors for the Electrical Detection of Iodine Gas.

Iodine detection is crucial for nuclear waste clean-up and first responder activities. For ease of use and durability of response, robust active materials that enable the direct electrical detection of I2 are needed. Herein, a large reversible electrical response is demonstrated as I2 is controllably and repeatedly adsorbed and desorbed from a series of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) MFM-300(X), each possessing a different metal center (X = Al, Fe, In, or Sc) bridged by biphenyl-3,3',5,5'-tetracarboxylate linkers. Impedance spectroscopy is used to evaluate how the different metal centers influence the electrical response upon cycling of I2 gas, ranging from 10× to 106× decrease in resistance upon I2 adsorption in air. This large variation in electrical response is attributed not only to the differing structural characteristics of the MOFs but also to the differing MOF morphologies and how this influences the degree of reversibility of I2 adsorption. Interestingly, MFM-300(Al) and MFM-300(In) displayed the largest changes in resistance (up to 106×) yet lost much of their adsorption capacity after five I2 adsorption cycles in air. On the other hand, MFM-300(Fe) and MFM-300(Sc) revealed more moderate changes in resistance (10-100×), maintaining most of their original adsorption capacity after five cycles. This work demonstrates how changes in MOFs can profoundly affect the magnitude and reversibility of the electrical response of sensor materials. Tuning both the intrinsic (resistivity and adsorption capacity) and extrinsic (surface area and particle morphology) properties is necessary to develop highly reversible, large signal-generating MOF materials for direct electrical readout for I2 sensing.

Evolutionary analysis of RB/Rpi-blb1 locus in the Solanaceae family.

Late blight caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is one of the most severe threats to potato production worldwide. Numerous studies suggest that the most effective protective strategy against the disease would be to provide potato cultivars with durable resistance (R) genes. However, little is known about the origin and evolutional history of these durable R-genes in potato. Addressing this might foster better understanding of the dynamics of these genes in nature and provide clues for identifying potential candidate R-genes. Here, a systematic survey was executed at RB/Rpi-blb1 locus, an exclusive broad-spectrum R-gene locus in potato. As indicated by synteny analysis, RB/Rpi-blb1 homologs were identified in all tested genomes, including potato, tomato, pepper, and Nicotiana, suggesting that the RB/Rpi-blb1 locus has an ancient origin. Two evolutionary patterns, similar to those reported on RGC2 in Lactuca, and Pi2/9 in rice, were detected at this locus. Type I RB/Rpi-blb1 homologs have frequent copy number variations and sequence exchanges, obscured orthologous relationships, considerable nucleotide divergence, and high non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions (Ka/Ks) between or within species, suggesting rapid diversification and balancing selection in response to rapid changes in the oomycete pathogen genomes. These characteristics may serve as signatures for cloning of late blight resistance genes.

Studies on metal-organic frameworks of Cu(II) with isophthalate linkers for hydrogen storage.

Hydrogen (H2) is a promising alternative energy carrier because of its environmental benefits, high energy density, and abundance. However, development of a practical storage system to enable the "Hydrogen Economy" remains a huge challenge. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an important class of crystalline coordination polymers constructed by bridging metal centers with organic linkers. MOFs show promise for H2 storage owing to their high surface area and tuneable properties. In this Account, we summarize our research on novel porous materials with enhanced H2 storage properties and describe frameworks derived from 3,5-substituted dicarboxylates (isophthalates) that serve as versatile molecular building blocks for the construction of a range of interesting coordination polymers with Cu(II) ions. We synthesized a series of materials by connecting linear tetracarboxylate linkers to {Cu(II)2} paddlewheel moieties. These materials exhibit high structural stability and permanent porosity. Varying the organic linker modulates the pore size, geometry, and functionality to control the overall H2 adsorption. Our top-performing material in this series has a H2 storage capacity of 77.8 mg g(-1) at 77 K, 60 bar. H2 adsorption at low, medium, and high pressures correlates with the isosteric heat of adsorption, surface area, and pore volume, respectively. Another series, using tribranched C3-symmetric hexacarboxylate ligands with Cu(II), gives highly porous (3,24)-connected frameworks incorporating {Cu(II)2} paddlewheels. Increasing the length of the hexacarboxylate struts directly tunes the porosity of the resultant material from micro- to mesoporosity. These materials show exceptionally high H2 uptakes owing to their high surface area and pore volume. The first member of this family reported adsorbs 111 mg g(-1) of H2, or 55.9 g L(-1), at 77 K, 77 bar, while at 77 K, 1 bar, the material adsorbs 2.3 wt % H2. We and others have since achieved enhanced H2 adsorption in these frameworks using combinations of polyphenyl groups linked by alkynes. The maximum storage achieved for one of the enhanced materials is 164 mg g(-1) at 77 K, 70 bar, but because of its low density, its volumetric capacity is only 45.7 g L(-1). We attribute the significant adsorption of H2 at low pressures to the arrangement of the {Cu24(isophthalate)24} cuboctahedral cages within the polyhedral structure. Free metal coordination positions are the first binding sites for D2, and these frameworks have two types of Cu(II) centers, one with its vacant site pointing into the cuboctahedral cage and another pointing externally. D2 molecules bind first at the former position and then at the external open metal sites. Design of ligands and complexes is key for enhancing and maximizing H2 storage, and although current materials operate at 77 K, research continues to explore routes to high capacity H2 storage materials that can function at higher temperatures.

Remarkable difference of somatic mutation patterns between oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.

Cancers arise owing to mutations that confer selective growth advantages on the cells in a subset of tumor suppressor and/or oncogenes. To understand oncogenesis and diagnose cancers, it is crucial to discriminate these two groups of genes by using the difference in their mutation patterns. Here, we investigated>120,000 mutation samples in 66 well-known tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes of the COSMIC database, and found a set of significant differences in mutation patterns (e.g., non-3n-indel, non-sense SNP and mutation hotspot) between them. By screening the best measurement, we developed indices to readily distinguish one from another and predict clearly the unknown oncogenesis genes as tumor suppressors (e.g., ASXL1, HNF1A and KDM6A) or oncogenes (e.g., FOXL2, MYD88 and TSHR). Based on our results, a third gene group can be classified, which has a mutational pattern between tumor suppressors and oncogenes. The concept of the third gene group could help to understand gene function in different cancers or individual patients and to know the exact function of genes in oncogenesis. In conclusion, our study provides further insights into cancer-related genes and identifies several potential therapeutic targets.

Rapid copy number expansion and recent recruitment of domains in S-receptor kinase-like genes contribute to the origin of self-incompatibility.

More than half of flowering plants have a sophisticated mechanism for self-pollen rejection, named self-incompatibility. In the Brassicaceae family, the recognition specificity of a self-incompatibility system is achieved by the interaction of the stigmatic S-receptor kinase and its ligand S-locus cysteine-rich protein, which are encoded by two tightly linked polymorphic genes. During the last two decades, many studies have explored their functions, although their origin and evolutionary history have still not been elucidated clearly. In the present study, an extensive survey in nine whole-genome sequenced plants, including one moss, one fern and seven flowering plants, was conducted to clarify these issues. The data obtained showed that S_locus_glycop domain-related genes, which are land plant specific, have an ancient origin that can be traced back to early land plants and also have a significantly expansion in flowering plants. In the four predominant domain architectures (Types I to IV) of these proteins, Type III genes had absolute predominance and appeared to be raw materials for diversification of the S_locus_glycop domain-related genes by frequent domain re-organizations. S-receptor kinase-like sequences (Type IV) might have originated from Type III genes by domain gains, and S-locus glycoprotein-like sequences (Type I) might have arisen by partial duplication of its linked S-receptor kinase genes. Although similar topologies were detected in S-receptor kinase and S-locus cysteine-rich protein trees, their physical linkage were found only in Brassicaceae, suggesting that the strong linkage disequilibrium and their co-evolution may be a key factor for the origin and maintenance of the S-receptor kinase-based self-incompatibility system in Brassicaceae.

Two open-framework germanates with nickel complexes incorporated into the framework.

Two open-framework germanates, SUT-1 and SUT-2, have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions using ethylenediamine (en, H(2)NCH(2)CH(2)NH(2)) as templates and Ni(NO(3))(2)·6H(2)O as the transition-metal source. Their frameworks are built with Ge(10) clusters and [Ni(en)(2)](2+) complexes. In both structures, Ge(10) clusters form square nets in the a-c plane, while the [Ni(en)(2)](2+) complexes bridge the square nets via Ni-O-Ge bonds to form 3D networks. They present the first examples to incorporate Ni(2+) complexes into the germanate frameworks. In SUT-2, additional linkages by Ge(2)O(7) clusters between the square nets generate a new type of topology.

High capacity gas storage by a 4,8-connected metal-organic polyhedral framework.

The polyhedral complex [Cu(4)L(H(2)O)(4)]solv (NOTT-140) shows a 4,8-connected structure of rare scu topology comprising octahedral and cuboctahedral cages; desolvated NOTT-140a shows a total CO(2) uptake of 314.6 cm(3) (STP) cm(-3) at 20 bar, 293 K, and a total H(2) uptake of 6.0 wt% at 20 bar, 77 K.