Rigid PN cages as 3-dimensional building blocks for crystalline or amorphous networked materials.

Three-dimensional covalent connectors are valuable synthons for accessing crystalline or amorphous networks. Currently, fused polycyclic alkanes are employed as connectors in this context. We debut phosphorus-nitrogen (PN) cages as new 3-dimensional (3-D) inorganic connectors that yield crystalline and amorphous networks, including examples with gas porosity. We show that the high tunability of PN cages accelerates network diversification and the presence of a responsive 31P NMR spectroscopic handle provides structural insight. Collectively, this work unlocks a new and convenient 3-D synthon for reticular chemistry.

Ultrahigh Size Exclusion Selectivity for Carbon Dioxide from Nitrogen/Methane in an Ultramicroporous Metal-Organic Framework.

Separations based on molecular size (molecular sieving) are a solution for environmental remediation. We have synthesized and characterized two new metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) (Zn2M; M = Zn, Cd) with ultramicropores (<0.7 nm) suitable for molecular sieving. We explore the synthesis of these MOFs and the role that the DMSO/H2O/DMF solvent mixture has on the crystallization process. We further explore the crystallographic data for the DMSO and methanol solvated structures at 273 and 100 K; this not only results in high-quality structural data but also allows us to better understand the structural features at temperatures around the gas adsorption experiments. Structurally, the main difference between the two MOFs is that the central metal in the trimetallic node can be changed from Zn to Cd and that results in a sub-Å change in the size of the pore aperture, but a stark change in the gas adsorption properties. The separation selectivity of the MOF when M = Zn is infinite given the pore aperture of the MOF can accommodate CO2 while N2 and/or CH4 is excluded from entering the pore. Furthermore, due to the size exclusion behavior, the MOF has an adsorption selectivity of 4800:1 CO2/N2 and 5 × 1028:1 CO2/CH4. When M = Cd, the pore aperture of the MOF increases slightly, allowing N2 and CH4 to enter the pore, resulting in a 27.5:1 and a 10.5:1 adsorption selectivity, respectively; this is akin to UiO-66, a MOF that is not able to function as a molecular sieve for these gases. The data delineate how subtle sub-Å changes to the pore aperture of a framework can drastically affect both the adsorption selectivity and separation selectivity.

A historical perspective on porphyrin-based metal-organic frameworks and their applications.

Porphyrins are important molecules widely found in nature in the form of enzyme active sites and visible light absorption units. Recent interest in using these functional molecules as building blocks for the construction of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have rapidly increased due to the ease in which the locations of, and the distances between, the porphyrin units can be controlled in these porous crystalline materials. Porphyrin-based MOFs with atomically precise structures provide an ideal platform for the investigation of their structure-function relationships in the solid state without compromising accessibility to the inherent properties of the porphyrin building blocks. This review will provide a historical overview of the development and applications of porphyrin-based MOFs from early studies focused on design and structures, to recent efforts on their utilization in biomimetic catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, sensing, and biomedical applications.

Significant Variability in the Photocatalytic Activity of Natural Titanium-Containing Minerals: Implications for Understanding and Predicting Atmospheric Mineral Dust Photochemistry.

The billions of tons of mineral dust released into the atmosphere each year provide an important surface for reaction with gas-phase pollutants. These reactions, which are often enhanced in the presence of light, can change both the gas-phase composition of the atmosphere and the composition and properties of the dust itself. Because dust contains titanium-rich grains, studies of dust photochemistry have largely employed commercial titanium dioxide as a proxy for its photochemically active fraction; to date, however, the validity of this model system has not been empirically determined. Here, for the first time, we directly investigate the photochemistry of the complement of natural titanium-containing minerals most relevant to mineral dust, including anatase, rutile, ilmenite, titanite, and several titanium-bearing species. Using ozone as a model gas-phase pollutant, we show that titanium-containing minerals other than titanium dioxide can also photocatalyze trace gas uptake, that samples of the same mineral phase can display very different reactivity, and that prediction of dust photoreactivity based on elemental/mineralogical analysis and/or light-absorbing properties is challenging. Together, these results show that the photochemistry of atmospheric dust is both richer and more complex than previously considered, and imply that a full understanding of the scope and impact of dust-mediated processes will require the community to engage with this complexity via the study of ambient mineral dust samples from diverse source regions.

Alkaline Earth Metal-Organic Frameworks with Tailorable Ion Release: A Path for Supporting Biomineralization.

An innovative application of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is in biomedical materials. To treat bone demineralization, which is a hallmark of osteoporosis, biocompatible MOFs (bioMOFs) have been proposed in which various components, such as alkaline-earth cations and bisphosphonate molecules, can be delivered to maintain normal bone density. Multicomponent bioMOFs that release several components simultaneously at a controlled rate thus offer an attractive solution. We report two new bioMOFs, comprising strontium and calcium ions linked by p-xylylenebisphosphonate molecules that release these three components and display no cytotoxic effects on human osteosarcoma cells. Varying the Sr2+/Ca2+ ratio in these bioMOFs causes the rate of ions dissolving into simulated body fluid to be unique; along with the ability to adsorb proteins, this property is crucial for future efforts in drug-release control and promotion of mineral formation. The one-pot synthesis of these bioMOFs demonstrates the utility of MOF design strategies.

Selective decontamination of the reactive air pollutant nitrous acid via node-linker cooperativity in a metal-organic framework.

Nitrous acid (HONO) is a reservoir of NO x and an emerging pollutant having direct impacts on air quality, both in- and outdoors, as well as on human health. In this work, the amine-functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF), UiO-66-NH2, was investigated due to its potential to selectively decontaminate nitrous acid at environmentally relevant concentrations. UiO-66-NH2 proved to be effective in the removal of nitrous acid from a continuous gaseous stream. This is observed via the formation of an aryl diazonium salt that subsequently converts to a phenol with a concomitant release of nitrogen gas. This process is preceded via the formation of the nitrosonium cation (likely protonation from an acidic proton on the node). Thus, UiO-66-NH2 is capable of selectively converting the pollutant nitrous acid to benign products.

Catalytic conversion of glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using zirconium-containing metal-organic frameworks using microwave heating.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) can be prepared by the catalytic dehydration of glucose or fructose using a range of homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. For our research, a selection of closely related Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) were used as catalysts in the conversion of glucose to 5-HMF due to their chemical and thermal stability as well as the Lewis acidity of zirconium. Our initial study focused on the use of UiO-66-X (X = H, NH2 and SO3H), optimization of the dehydration reaction conditions, and correlation of the catalytic activity with the MOF's properties, in particular, their surface area. The highest yield of 5-HMF (28%) could be obtained using UiO-66 under optimal reaction conditions in dimethylsulfoxide and this could be increased to 37% in the presence of water. In catalyst recycling tests, we found the efficiency of UiO-66 was maintained across five runs (23%, 19%, 21%, 20%, 22.5%). The post-catalysis MOF, UiO-66-humin, was characterized using a range of techniques including PXRD, FT-IR, 13C Solid State NMR and N2 gas adsorption. We continued to optimize the reaction using MOF 808 as the catalyst. Notably, MOF 808 afforded higher yields of 5-HMF under the same conditions compared with the three UiO-66-X compounds. We propose that this might be attributed to the larger pores of MOF 808 or the more accessible zirconium centres.

Bistable Dithienylethene-Based Metal-Organic Framework Illustrating Optically Induced Changes in Chemical Separations.

Dithienylethene-containing molecules have been examined due to their photoswitching capabilities. We have prepared a bistable, optically triggered, metal-organic framework (MOF) containing a dithienylethene moiety that was synthesized and characterized. The advantage of this material is that, unlike other dithienylethene-containing MOFs, the properties of the pore can be changed via an optical trigger without the potential risk of structural damage to the framework. We illustrate the application of this MOF to chemical separations. With this class of materials, optically triggered conductivity, chemical storage and release, and sensing are possible.

The dual capture of AsV and AsIII by UiO-66 and analogues.

UiO-66 and analogues were successfully tailored to chemoselectively capture AsV oxyanions at the hydroxylated node and neutral AsIII species with the thiolated organic linkers. More efficient and faster uptake can be achieved with increasing defect densities, increasing pore aperture sizes, and decreasing particle sizes.

High volumetric uptake of ammonia using Cu-MOF-74/Cu-CPO-27.

Cu-MOF-74 (also known as Cu-CPO-27) was identified as a sorbent having one of the highest densities of Cu(ii) sites per unit volume. Given that Cu(ii) in the framework can be thermally activated to yield a five-coordinate Cu(ii) species, we identified this MOF as a potential candidate for maximal volumetric uptake of ammonia. To that end, the kinetic breakthrough of ammonia in Cu-MOF-74/Cu-CPO-27 was examined under both dry and humid conditions. Under dry conditions the MOF exhibited a respectable performance (2.6 vs. 2.9 NH3 per nm(3) for the current record holder HKUST-1), and under 80% relative humidity, the MOF outperformed HKUST-1 (5.9 vs. 3.9 NH3 per nm(3), respectively).

Structural Design Parameters for Highly Birefringent Coordination Polymers.

A series of coordination polymer materials incorporating the highly anisotropic 2-(2-pyridyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (phenpy) building block have been synthesized and structurally characterized. M(phenpy)[Au(CN)2]2 (M = Cd, Mn) are isostructural and form a 1-D chain through bridging [Au(CN)2](-) units and extend into a 2-D sheet through aurophilic interactions. M(phenpy)(H2O)[Au(CN)2]2·2H2O (M = Cd, Mn, and Zn) are also isostructural but differ from the first set via the inclusion of a water molecule into the coordination sphere, resulting in a 1-D topology through aurophilic interactions. In(phenpy)(Cl)2[Au(CN)2]·0.5H2O forms a dimer through bridging chlorides and contains a free [Au(CN)2](-) unit. In the plane of the primary crystal growth direction, the birefringence values (Δn) of 0.37(2) (Cd(phenpy)[Au(CN)2]2), 0.50(3) (In(phenpy)(Cl)2[Au(CN)2]·0.5H2O), 0.56(3) and 0.59(6) (M(phenpy)(H2O)[Au(CN)2]2·2H2O M = Cd and Zn, respectively) were determined. ß, a structural parameter defined by phenpy units rotated in the A-C plane relative to the light propagation (C) direction, was found to correlate to Δn magnitudes. The addition of a carbon-carbon double bond to terpy has increased the molecular polarizability anisotropy of the building block, and all structures have reduced deviation from planarity in comparison to terpy and terpy derivative structures, leading to these higher Δn values, which are among the highest reported for crystalline solids.

High efficiency adsorption and removal of selenate and selenite from water using metal-organic frameworks.

A series of zirconium-based, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were tested for their ability to adsorb and remove selenate and selenite anions from aqueous solutions. MOFs were tested for adsorption capacity and uptake time at different concentrations. NU-1000 was shown to have the highest adsorption capacity, and fastest uptake rates for both selenate and selenite, of all zirconium-based MOFs studied here. Herein, the mechanism of selenate and selenite adsorption on NU-1000 is explored to determine the important features that make NU-1000 a superior adsorbent for this application.

Destruction of chemical warfare agents using metal-organic frameworks.

Chemical warfare agents containing phosphonate ester bonds are among the most toxic chemicals known to mankind. Recent global military events, such as the conflict and disarmament in Syria, have brought into focus the need to find effective strategies for the rapid destruction of these banned chemicals. Solutions are needed for immediate personal protection (for example, the filtration and catalytic destruction of airborne versions of agents), bulk destruction of chemical weapon stockpiles, protection (via coating) of clothing, equipment and buildings, and containment of agent spills. Solid heterogeneous materials such as modified activated carbon or metal oxides exhibit many desirable characteristics for the destruction of chemical warfare agents. However, low sorptive capacities, low effective active site loadings, deactivation of the active site, slow degradation kinetics, and/or a lack of tailorability offer significant room for improvement in these materials. Here, we report a carefully chosen metal-organic framework (MOF) material featuring high porosity and exceptional chemical stability that is extraordinarily effective for the degradation of nerve agents and their simulants. Experimental and computational evidence points to Lewis-acidic Zr(IV) ions as the active sites and to their superb accessibility as a defining element of their efficacy.

Turning on catalysis: incorporation of a hydrogen-bond-donating squaramide moiety into a Zr metal-organic framework.

Herein, we demonstrate that the incorporation of an acidic hydrogen-bond-donating squaramide moiety into a porous UiO-67 metal-organic framework (MOF) derivative leads to dramatic acceleration of the biorelevant Friedel-Crafts reaction between indole and ß-nitrostyrene. In comparison, it is shown that free squaramide derivatives, not incorporated into MOF architectures, have no catalytic activity. Additionally, using the UiO-67 template, we were able to perform a direct comparison of catalytic activity with that of the less acidic urea-based analogue. This is the first demonstration of the functionalization of a heterogeneous framework with an acidic squaramide derivative.

Dynamics of Back Electron Transfer in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Featuring 4-tert-Butyl-Pyridine and Atomic-Layer-Deposited Alumina as Surface Modifiers.

A series of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) was constructed with TiO2 nanoparticles and N719 dye. The standard I3(-)/I(-) redox shuttle and the Co(1,10-phenanthroline)3(3+/2+) shuttle were employed. DSCs were modified with atomic-layered-deposited (ALD) coatings of Al2O3 and/or with the surface-adsorbing additive 4-tert-butyl-pyridine. Current-voltage data were collected to ascertain the influence of each modification upon the back electron transfer (ET) dynamics of the DSCs. The primary effect of the additives alone or in tandem is to increase the open-circuit voltage. A second is to alter the short-circuit current density, JSC. With dependence on the specifics of the system examined, any of a myriad of dynamics-related effects were observed to come into play, in both favorable (efficiency boosting) and unfavorable (efficiency damaging) ways. These effects include modulation of (a) charge-injection yields, (b) rates of interception of injected electrons by redox shuttles, and (c) rates of recombination of injected electrons with holes on surface-bound dyes. In turn, these influence charge-collection lengths, charge-collection yields, and onset potentials for undesired dark current. The microscopic origins of the effects appear to be related mainly to changes in driving force and/or electronic coupling for underlying component redox reactions. Perhaps surprisingly, only a minor role for modifier-induced shifts in conduction-band-edge energy was found. The combination of DSC-efficiency-relevant effects engendered by the modifiers was found to vary substantially as a function of the chemical identity of the redox shuttle employed. While types of modifiers are effective, a challenge going forward will be to construct systems in ways in which the benefits of organic and inorganic modifiers can be exploited in fully additive, or even synergistic, fashion.

Exploiting parameter space in MOFs: a 20-fold enhancement of phosphate-ester hydrolysis with UiO-66-NH2.

The hydrolysis of nerve agents is of primary concern due to the severe toxicity of these agents. Using a MOF-based catalyst (UiO-66), we have previously demonstrated that the hydrolysis can occur with relatively fast half-lives of 50 minutes. However, these rates are still prohibitively slow to be efficiently utilized for some practical applications (e.g., decontamination wipes used to clean exposed clothing/skin/vehicles). We thus turned our attention to derivatives of UiO-66 in order to probe the importance of functional groups on the hydrolysis rate. Three UiO-66 derivatives were explored; UiO-66-NO2 and UiO-66-(OH)2 showed little to no change in hydrolysis rate. However, UiO-66-NH2 showed a 20 fold increase in hydrolysis rate over the parent UiO-66 MOF. Half-lives of 1 minute were observed with this MOF. In order to probe the role of the amino moiety, we turned our attention to UiO-67, UiO-67-NMe2 and UiO-67-NH2. In these MOFs, the amino moiety is in close proximity to the zirconium node. We observed that UiO-67-NH2 is a faster catalyst than UiO-67 and UiO-67-NMe2. We conclude that the role of the amino moiety is to act as a proton-transfer agent during the catalytic cycle and not to hydrogen bond or to form a phosphorane intermediate.

Are Zr6-based MOFs water stable? Linker hydrolysis vs. capillary-force-driven channel collapse.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) built up from Zr6-based nodes and multi-topic carboxylate linkers have attracted attention due to their favourable thermal and chemical stability. However, the hydrolytic stability of some of these Zr6-based MOFs has recently been questioned. Herein we demonstrate that two Zr6-based frameworks, namely UiO-67 and NU-1000, are stable towards linker hydrolysis in H2O, but collapse during activation from H2O. Importantly, this framework collapse can be overcome by utilizing solvent-exchange to solvents exhibiting lower capillary forces such as acetone.

Fabrication of transparent-conducting-oxide-coated inverse opals as mesostructured architectures for electrocatalysis applications: a case study with NiO.

Highly ordered, and conductive inverse opal arrays were made with silica and subsequently coated with tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) via atomic layer deposition (ALD). We demonstrate the utility of the resulting mesostructured electrodes by further coating them with nickel oxide via ALD. The NiO-coated arrays are capable of efficiently electrochemically evolving oxygen from water. These modular, crack-free, transparent, high surface area, and conducting structures show promise for many applications including electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and dye-sensitized solar cells.

Directed growth of electroactive metal-organic framework thin films using electrophoretic deposition.

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is used to assemble metal-organic framework (MOF) materials in nano- and micro-particulate, thin-film form. The flexibility of the method is demonstrated by the successful deposition of 4 types of MOFs: NU-1000, UiO-66, HKUST-1, and Al-MIL-53. Additionally, EPD is used to pattern the growth of NU-1000 thin films that exhibit full electrochemical activity.

High-surface-area architectures for improved charge transfer kinetics at the dark electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) redox shuttles other than triiodide/iodide have exhibited significantly higher charge transfer resistances at the dark electrode. This often results in poor fill factor, a severe detriment to device performance. Rather than moving to dark electrodes of untested materials that may have higher catalytic activity for specific shuttles, the surface area of platinum dark electrodes could be increased, improving the catalytic activity by simply presenting more catalyst to the shuttle solution. A new copper-based redox shuttle that experiences extremely high charge-transfer resistance at conventional Pt dark electrodes yields cells having fill-factors of less than 0.3. By replacing the standard Pt dark electrode with an inverse opal Pt electrode fabricated via atomic layer deposition, the dark electrode surface area is boosted by ca. 50-fold. The resulting increase in interfacial electron transfer rate (decrease in charge-transfer resistance) nearly doubles the fill factor and therefore the overall energy conversion efficiency, illustrating the utility of this high-area electrode for DSCs.