Comprehensive Qualitative and Quantitative Colorimetric Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds Using Monolayered Metal-Organic Framework Films.

Cross-responsive chemical sensors are in high demand owing to their ability to distinguish a broad range of analytes. In this study, a vapochromic sensor array based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which exhibits distinct patterns when exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and humidity, is developed. Conventional sensor arrays consist of various receptors that produce different responses. The vapochromic MOF-based sensor comprises dicopper paddlewheel clusters and dimethylamine azobenzene as binary colorimetric sensing moieties. Upon exposure to VOCs, the constructed sensor encompasses a broad spectrum of colors, ranging from green to red. Furthermore, the color of the MOF is influenced by the solvent used during the pretreatment. Consequently, monolayered MOF thin films can be adapted to multicomponent array systems by immersing the MOF in different solvents. This system provides both qualitative and quantitative sensing, generating unique color patterns corresponding to specific VOC types. Notably, the sensor successfully discriminates each of 14 common VOCs and water and accurately categorizes unknown samples. Moreover, the system undergoes reversible color changes in response to humidity, obviating the need for high-temperature regeneration steps. This novel approach offers insights into the versatile applications of MOFs by creating a colorimetric sensor array capable of detecting various analytes.

Partial-Interpenetration-Controlled UiO-Type Metal-Organic Framework and its Catalytic Activity.

An unprecedented correlation between the catalytic activity of a Zr-based UiO-type metal-organic framework (MOF) and its degree of interpenetration (DOI) is reported. The DOI of an MOF is hard to control owing to the high-energy penalty required to construct a partially interpenetrated structure. Surprisingly, strong interactions between building blocks (inter-ligand hydrogen bonding) facilitate the formation of partially interpenetrated structures under carefully regulated synthesis conditions. Moreover, catalytic conversion rates for cyanosilylation and Knoevenagel condensation reactions are found to be proportional to the DOI of the MOF. Among MOFs with DOIs in the 0-100% range, that with a DOI of 87% is the most catalytically active. Framework interpenetration is known to lower catalytic performance by impeding reactant diffusion. A higher effective reactant concentration due to tight inclusion in the interpenetrated region is possibly responsible for this inverted result.

Site-Differentiated MnIIFeII Complex Reproducing the Selective Assembly of Biological Heterobimetallic Mn/Fe Cofactors.

Class Ic ribonucleotide reductases (RNRIc) and R2-like ligand-binding oxidases (R2lox) are known to contain heterobimetallic MnIIFeII cofactors. How these enzymes assemble MnIIFeII cofactors has been a long-standing puzzle due to the weaker binding affinity of MnII versus FeII. In addition, the heterobimetallic selectivity of RNRIc and R2lox has yet to be reproduced with coordination complexes, leading to the hypothesis that RNRIc and R2lox overcome the thermodynamic preference for coordination of FeII over MnII with their carefully constructed three-dimensional protein structures. Herein, we report the selective formation of a heterobimetallic MnIIFeII complex accomplished in the absence of a protein scaffold. Treatment of the ligand Py4DMcT (L) with equimolar amounts of FeII and MnII along with two equivalents of acetate (OAc) affords [LMnIIFeII (OAc)2(OTf)]+ (MnIIFeII) in 80% yield, while the diiron complex [LFeIIFeII(OAc)2(OTf)]+ (FeIIFeII) is produced in only 8% yield. The formation of MnIIFeII is favored regardless of the order of addition of FeII and MnII sources. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of single crystals of MnIIFeII reveals an unsymmetrically coordinated carboxylate ligand─a primary coordination sphere feature shared by both RNRIc and R2lox that differentiates the two metal binding sites. Anomalous XRD studies confirm that MnIIFeII exhibits the same site selectivity as R2lox and RNRIc, with the FeII (d6) center preferentially occupying the distorted octahedral site. We conclude that the successful assembly of MnIIFeII originates from (1) Fe-deficient conditions, (2) site differentiation, and (3) the inability of ligand L to house a dimanganese complex.

Sr(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 and [Sr3 Se2 ][(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 ] Tunable Direct Band Gap Semiconductors.

Synthesizing solids in molten fluxes enables the rapid diffusion of soluble species at temperatures lower than in solid-state reactions, leading to crystal formation of kinetically stable compounds. In this study, we demonstrate the effectiveness of mixed hydroxide and halide fluxes in synthesizing complex Sr/Ag/Se in mixed LiOH/LiCl. We have accessed a series of two-dimensional Sr(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 layered phases. With increased LiOH/LiCl ratio or reaction temperature, Li partially substituted Ag to form solid solutions of Sr(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 with x up to 0.45. In addition, a new type of intergrowth compound [Sr3 Se2 ][(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 ] was synthesized upon further reaction of Sr(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 with SrSe. Both Sr(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 and [Sr3 Se2 ][(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 ] exhibit a direct band gap, which increases with increasing Li substitution (x). Therefore, the band gap of Sr(Ag1-x Lix )2 Se2 can be precisely tuned via fine-tuning x that is controlled by only the flux ratio and temperature.

π-Stacks of radical-anionic naphthalenediimides in a metal-organic framework.

Radical-ionic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have unique optical, magnetic, and electronic properties. These radical ions, forcibly formed by external stimulus-induced redox processes, are structurally unstable and have short radical lifetimes. Here, we report two naphthalenediimide-based (NDI-based) Ca-MOFs: DGIST-6 and DGIST-7. Neutral DGIST-6, which is generated first during solvothermal synthesis, decomposes and is converted into radical-anionic DGIST-7. Cofacial (NDI)2•- and (NDI)22- dimers are effectively stabilized in DGIST-7 by electron delocalization and spin-pairing as well as dimethylammonium counter cations in their pores. Single-crystal x-ray diffractometry was used to visualize redox-associated structural transformations, such as changes in centroid-to-centroid distance. Moreover, the unusual rapid reduction of oxidized DGIST-7 into the radical anion upon infrared irradiation results in effective and reproducible photothermal conversion. This study successfully illustrated the strategic use of in situ prepared cofacial ligand dimers in MOFs that facilitate the stabilization of radical ions.

Rapid Cs+ Capture via Multiple Supramolecular Interactions in Anionic Metal-Organic Framework Isomers.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide an ideal platform for ion exchange due to their high porosity and structural designability; however, developing MOFs that have the essential characteristics for ion exchange remains a challenge. These crucial features include fast kinetics, selectivity, and stability. We present two anionic isomers, DGIST-2 (2D) and DGIST-3 (3D), comprising distinctly arranged 5-(1,8-naphthalimido)isophthalate ligands and In3+ cations. Interestingly, in protic solvents, DGIST-2 transforms into a hydrolytically stable crystalline phase, DGIST-2'. DGIST-2' and DGIST-3 exhibit rapid Cs+ adsorption kinetics, as well as high Cs+ affinity in the presence of competing cations. The mechanism for rapid and selective sorption is explored based on the results of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of Cs+-incorporated DGIST-3. In Cs+-containing solutions, the loosely incorporated dimethylammonium countercation of the anionic framework is replaced by Cs+, which is held in the hydrophobic cavity by supramolecular ion-ion and cation-π interactions.

Mechanochemistry of Group 4 Element-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Mechanochemical synthesis is emerging as an environmentally friendly yet efficient approach to preparing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Herein, we report our systematic investigation on the mechanochemical syntheses of Group 4 element-based MOFs. The developed mechanochemistry allows us to synthesize a family of Hf4O4(OH)4(OOC)12-based MOFs. Integrating [Zr6O4(OH)4(OAc)12]2 and [Hf6O4(OH)4(OAc)12]2 under the mechanochemical conditions leads to a unique family of cluster-precise multimetallic MOFs that cannot be accessed by the conventional solvothermal synthesis. Extensive efforts have not yielded an effective pathway for preparing TiIV-derived MOFs, tentatively because of the relatively low Ti-O bond dissociation energy.

A porous supramolecular ionic solid.

We report a synthetic strategy to integrate discrete coordination cages into extended porous materials by decorating opposite charges on the singular cage, which offers multidirectional electrostatic forces among cages and leads to a porous supramolecular ionic solid. The resulting material is non-centrosymmetric and affords a piezoelectric coefficient of 8.19 pC N-1, higher than that of the wurtzite ZnO.

Stimuli-Responsive Ti-Organic Gels and Aerogels Derived from Ti-Oxo Clusters: Hierarchical Porosity and Photocatalytic Activity.

Herein, we report titanium-organic gels (TOGs) as new Ti-oxo-based materials that exhibit stimuli-responsive sol-gel transformations and hierarchical porosity upon the removal of solvent molecules. Heating a solution of Ti-oxo clusters and pyromellitic acid as a tetratopic ligand produces TOGs that readily become sols by applying physical stimuli such as shaking or vortexing under ambient conditions. Porous titanium-organic aerogels (TOAs) were obtained by the CO2 supercritical point drying (CPD) of the TOGs, and their porous structures were characterized by N2 adsorption and desorption isotherm measurements. These TOAs, based on the Ti-oxo clusters, possess hierarchical micro-, meso-, and macropores. Furthermore, accompanying the prominent photochromic phenomena, reduction of Ti4+ to Ti3+ was observed upon UV irradiation. The TOAs were successfully applied in the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of several dye molecules. This research introduces a versatile method for preparing stimuli-responsive and porous Ti-oxo-based photocatalysts.

Visualization of Iodine Chemisorption Facilitated by Aryl C-H Bond Activation.

The ability to chemisorb iodine is important for the safe long-term storage of fission products from nuclear reactors. Herein, we successfully used single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis to crystallographically visualize I2 binding sites in two isostructural metal-organic frameworks, viz. Co2(m-DOBDC) (m-DOBDC4- = 4,6-dioxo-1,3-benzenedicarboxylate) and Co2(p-DOBDC) (p-DOBDC4- = 2,5-dioxo-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), with increasing I2 loading. Interestingly, the C-H bond at the electron-rich carbon (C5) of m-DOBDC4- is activated toward electrophilic aromatic substitution, forming an aryl C-I bond and I- or I3- that coordinates to unsaturated open Co sites. Cooperation between the ligand and the open Co sites leads to rapid chemisorption of I2 even under mild adsorption conditions, such as room temperature. In contrast, molecular I2 coordinates to the open Co sites of Co2(p-DOBDC). Owing to the chemisorption of I2, I2@Co2(m-DOBDC) decomposes at a much higher temperature than I2@Co2(p-DOBDC), as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis.

Titanium-Carboxylate Metal-Organic Framework Based on an Unprecedented Ti-Oxo Chain Cluster.

Titanium(IV)-based metal-organic frameworks (Ti-MOFs) have received significant attention in recent years due to their numerous photocatalytic applications. We herein prepare the single-crystalline Ti-carboxylate MOF (DGIST-1) composed of an unprecedented Ti-oxo chain cluster and the porphyrinic ligand, TCPP (tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin). Preformed Ti-oxo clusters were used as Ti4+ sources to avoid the spontaneous hydrolysis and condensation reactions of traditional Ti-alkoxide precursors, thus, enabling the formation of the highly crystalline Ti-MOF. The successfully activated DGIST-1 exhibited a higher surface area (i.e., 1957.3 m2 g-1 ) than previously reported Ti-MOFs due to its high crystallinity. Furthermore, the visible-light-responsive photocatalytic activity of DGIST-1 was confirmed by the simultaneous generation of singlet oxygen (1 O2 ) and superoxide (. O2 - ) species, in addition to the highly efficient and selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde.

Chromium(II) Metal-Organic Polyhedra as Highly Porous Materials.

Herein we report for the first time the synthesis of Cr(II)-based metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) and the characterization of their porosities. Unlike the isostructural Cu(II)- or Mo(II)-based MOPs, Cr(II)-based MOPs show unusually high gas uptakes and surface areas. The combination of comparatively robust dichromium paddlewheel units (Cr2 units), cage symmetries, and packing motifs enable these materials to achieve Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas of up to 1000 m2/g. Reducing the aggregation of the Cr(II)-based MOPs upon activation makes their pores more accessible than their Cu(II) or Mo(II) counterparts. Further comparisons of surface areas on a molar (m2/mol cage) rather than gravimetric (m2/g) basis is proposed as a rational method of comparing members of a family of related molecular materials.

Controlled Intercalation and Chemical Exfoliation of Layered Metal-Organic Frameworks Using a Chemically Labile Intercalating Agent.

Creating ordered two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets has attracted extensive interest. However, it still remains a great challenge to synthesize ultrathin 2D MOF nanosheets with controlled thickness in high yields. In this work, we demonstrate a novel intercalation and chemical exfoliation approach to obtain MOF nanosheets from intrinsically layered MOF crystals. This approach involves two steps: first, layered porphyrinic MOF crystals are intercalated with 4,4'-dipyridyl disulfide through coordination bonding with the metal nodes; subsequently, selective cleavage of the disulfide bond induces exfoliation of the intercalated MOF crystals, leading to individual freestanding MOF nanosheets. This chemical exfoliation process can proceed efficiently at room temperature to produce ultrathin (∼1 nm) 2D MOF nanosheets in ∼57% overall yield. The obtained ultrathin nanosheets exhibit efficient and far superior heterogeneous photocatalysis performance compared with the corresponding bulk MOF.

Incorporation of Alkylamine into Metal-Organic Frameworks through a Brønsted Acid-Base Reaction for CO2 Capture.

The escalating atmospheric CO2 concentration is one of the most urgent environmental concerns of our age. To effectively capture CO2 , various materials have been studied. Among them, alkylamine-modified metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered to be promising candidates. In most cases, alkylamine molecules are integrated into MOFs through the coordination bonds formed between open metal sites (OMSs) and amine groups. Thus, the alkylamine density, as well as the corresponding CO2 uptake in MOFs, are severely restricted by the density of OMSs. To overcome this limit, other approaches to incorporating alkylamine into MOFs are highly desired. We have developed a new method based on Brønsted acid-base reaction to tether alkylamines into Cr-MIL-101-SO3 H for CO2 capture. A systematic optimization of the amine tethering process was also conducted to maximize the CO2 uptake of the modified MOF. Under the optimal amine tethering condition, the obtained tris(2-aminoethyl)amine-functionalized Cr-MIL-101-SO3 H (Cr-MIL-101-SO3 H-TAEA) has a cyclic CO2 uptake of 2.28 mmol g-1 at 150 mbar and 40 °C, and 1.12 mmol g-1 at 0.4 mbar and 20 °C. The low-cost starting materials and simple synthetic procedure for the preparation of Cr-MIL-101-SO3 H-TAEA suggest that it has the potential for large-scale production and practical applications.

Flexible Zirconium Metal-Organic Frameworks as Bioinspired Switchable Catalysts.

Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly desirable in host-guest chemistry owing to their almost unlimited structural/functional diversities and stimuli-responsive pore architectures. Herein, we designed a flexible Zr-MOF system, namely PCN-700 series, for the realization of switchable catalysis in cycloaddition reactions of CO2 with epoxides. Their breathing behaviors were studied by successive single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The breathing amplitudes of the PCN-700 series were modulated through pre-functionalization of organic linkers and post-synthetic linker installation. Experiments and molecular simulations confirm that the catalytic activities of the PCN-700 series can be switched on and off upon reversible structural transformation, which is reminiscent of sophisticated biological systems such as allosteric enzymes.

Linker Installation: Engineering Pore Environment with Precisely Placed Functionalities in Zirconium MOFs.

Precise placement of multiple functional groups in a highly ordered metal-organic framework (MOF) platform allows the tailoring of the pore environment, which is required for advanced applications. To realize this, we present a comprehensive study on the linker installation method, in which a stable MOF with coordinatively unsaturated Zr6 clusters was employed and linkers bearing different functional groups were postsynthetically installed. A Zr-MOF with inherent missing linker sites, namely, PCN-700, was initially constructed under kinetic control. Twelve linkers with different substituents were then designed to study their effect on MOF formation kinetics and therefore resulting MOF structures. Guided by the geometrical analysis, linkers with different lengths were installed into a parent PCN-700, giving rise to 11 new MOFs and each bearing up to three different functional groups in predefined positions. Systematic variation of the pore volume and decoration of pore environment were realized by linker installation, which resulted in synergistic effects including an enhancement of H2 adsorption capacities of up to 57%. In addition, a size-selective catalytic system for aerobic alcohol oxidation reaction is built in PCN-700 through linker installation, which shows high activity and tunable size selectivity. Altogether, these results exemplify the capability of the linker installation method in the pore environment engineering of stable MOFs with multiple functional groups, giving an unparalleled level of control.

Thermodynamically Guided Synthesis of Mixed-Linker Zr-MOFs with Enhanced Tunability.

Guided by thermodynamics, we have synthesized two mixed-linker zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs), namely, PCN-133 and PCN-134. Both of them possess a layer-pillar structure, in which the connection between Zr6 clusters and primary BTB linkers form a (3,6)-connected kdg layer that is further extended into 3D frameworks by auxiliary DCDPS/TCPP linkers (BTB = benzene tribenzoate, DCDPS = 4,4'-dicarboxydiphenyl sulfone, TCPP = tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin). PCN-134 demonstrates high porosity (N2 uptake of 717 cm(3)·g(-1) and BET surface area of 1946 cm(2)·g(-1)) and excellent chemical stability in aqueous solutions with pH values ranging from 0 to 13. More importantly, PCN-134 tolerates the partial absence of auxiliary linkers leading to structural defects during the assembly process while preserving its framework integrity. Furthermore, the defect density can be systematically controlled by tuning the occupancy of the auxiliary linker, which in turn affects the MOF properties. For instance, the dichromate uptake of PCN-134 is tuned by adjusting the BTB/TCPP ratios, which gives rise to an efficient dichromate absorbent when the TCPP molar ratio in linkers is set as 22%. In addition, the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) in aqueous solution was also performed by PCN-134-22%TCPP which exhibits excellent catalytic activity. This work not only opens up a new synthetic route toward mixed-linker MOFs, but also provides tunable control of MOF defects and, in turn, the properties.

A versatile synthetic route for the preparation of titanium metal-organic frameworks.

Exploitation of new titanium metal-organic frameworks (Ti-MOFs) with high crystallinity has been attracting great attention due to their vast application potential in photocatalysis. Herein a versatile synthetic strategy, namely, High Valence Metathesis and Oxidation (HVMO), is developed to synthesize a series of Ti-MOFs with predesigned topologies and structures. The crystallinity of these Ti-MOFs was well maintained throughout, as confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and gas adsorption measurements. Significantly, there were only a few examples of Ti-MOFs, not to mention a general synthetic strategy for various kinds of Ti-MOFs in the literature. This contribution also illustrates the intriguing potential of Ti-MOF platforms in photocatalysis.

Coupling two enzymes into a tandem nanoreactor utilizing a hierarchically structured MOF.

A hierarchical porous metal-organic framework (MOF), PCN-888, containing three types of cavities was utilized to couple two enzymes into a tandem nanoreactor. The largest cavity (6.2 nm) can only accommodate one molecule of glucose oxidase (GOx). The intermediate cavity (5.0 nm) can accommodate one and only one molecule of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The small cavity (2.0 nm) has sufficient size for neither GOx nor HRP, and remains open as a substrate diffusion pathway. The coupling of the two enzymes can only be achieved through a unique stepwise encapsulation with a specific order (GOx first, followed by HRP). The tandem nanoreactor shows excellent catalytic performances and negligible enzyme leaching. Its catalytic activity is well maintained within several catalytic cycles. Moreover, PCN-888 can provide protection to the encapsulated enzymes against trypsin digestion, indicating the in vitro and in vivo stability of the nanoreactor.

Crystal engineering on superpolyhedral building blocks in metal-organic frameworks applied in gas adsorption.

Two metal-organic frameworks [PCN-426(Ni) and PCN-427(Cu)] have been designed and synthesized to investigate the structure predictability using a SBB (supermolecular building blocks) approach. Tetratopic ligands featuring 120° angular carboxylate moieties were coordinated with a [Ni3(µ3-O)] cluster and a [Cu2O2] unit, respectively. As topologically predicted, 4-connected networks with square coordination adopted the nbo net for the Ni-MOF and ssb net for the Cu-MOF. PCN-426(Ni) was augmented with 12-connected octahedral SBBs, while PCN-427(Cu) was constructed with tetragonal open channels. After a CO2 supercritical drying procedure, the PCN-426(Ni) possessed a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area as high as 3935 m(2) g(-1) and impressively high N2 uptake of 1500 cm(3) g(-1). This work demonstrates the generalization of the SBB strategy, finding an alternative to inconvenient synthetic processes to achieve the desired structural features.