Gas Hydrate Frameworks of Allen's Polyhedra. 1. Frameworks on 3–5 Nets

The structures of water molecule frameworks built up of 5¹², 5¹²6², 5¹²6³, and 5¹²6⁴ polyhedra are discussed. In the frameworks of such polyhedra, it is possible to distinguish layers; the centers of the polyhedra belonging to a layer are at the nodes of a planar network consisting of triangular, pentagonal, and hexagonal meshes. The structure of one layer entirely determines the structure of the whole framework. An analysis is given of the structure and topology of frameworks whose layers are constructed on pentagontrigonal nets. It is shown that these frameworks can be constructed from two types of polyhedral blocks closely packed in space.     

Nd3+-Sensitized Upconversion Metal–Organic Frameworks for Mitochondria-Targeted Amplified Photodynamic Therapy

Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a mitochondria-specific, 808 nm NIR light-activated photodynamic therapy (PDT) system based on the combination of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and upconversion photochemistry with an organelle-targeting strategy. The system was synthesized through the growth of a porphyrinic MOF on Nd³⁺-sensitized upconversion nanoparticles to achieve Janus nanostructures with further asymmetric functionalization of the surface of the MOF domain. The PDT nanoplatform allows for photosensitizing with 808 nm NIR light, which could effectively avoid the laser-irradiation-induced overheating effect. Furthermore, mitochondria-targeting could amplify PDT efficacy through the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane and the initiation of intrinsic apoptotic pathway. This work sheds light on the hybrid engineering of MOFs to combat their current limitations for PDT.     

An e.p.r. study of tetradentate Schiff base copper complexes with an N–(CH2)n–N,n = 3–6 backbone

Cu^II complexes of Schiff-base ligands with a general formulation o-HOC₆H₄CH=N–(CH₂) _n –N=CHC₆H₄OH-o, where n = 3–6 have been prepared and their e.p.r. spectra investigated in order to determine the effect of the flexible methylene backbone length on the structure. The room temperature and 77 K e.p.r. spectra of the compounds, n = 3 and 4, are typical of the axially symmetric ground state with g > g . When n = 5, on the other hand, the complex gives an isotropic spectrum at room temperature. For n = 6, g appears to be greater than g . The g _iso value increases gradually from n = 3 to n = 6 indicating deviation from planarity. Simulation of the 77 K spectrum for n = 6 shows the presence of two distinct Cu²⁺ sites of equal probability. The Q-band spectrum of this compound exhibits a narrowed g signal indicative of exchange coupling. The spectrum is a consequence of intermolecular electron exchange giving a pseudo d² _z state.     

Microscopic and Mesoscopic Dual Postsynthetic Modifications of Metal–Organic Frameworks

We report the dual postsynthetic modification (PSM) of a metal–organic framework (MOF) involving the microscopic conversion of C−H bonds into C−C bonds and the mesoscopic introduction of hierarchical porosity. MOF crystals underwent single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations during the electrophilic aromatic substitution of Co₂(m-DOBDC) (m-DOBDC⁴⁻=4,6-dioxo-1,3-benzenedicarboxylate) with alkyl halides and formaldehyde. The steric hindrance caused by the proximity of the introduced functional groups to the coordination bonds reduced bond stability and facilitated the transformation into hierarchically porous mesostructures by etching with in situ generated protons (hydroniums) and halides. The numerous defect sites in the mesostructural MOFs are potential water-sorption sites. However, since the introduced functional groups are close to the main adsorption sites, even methyl groups are able to considerably decrease water adsorption, whereas hydroxy groups increase adsorption at low vapor pressures.     

Supramolecular Photochirogenesis. 3. Enantiodifferentiating Photoisomerization of Cyclooctene Included and Sensitized by 6-O-Mono(o-methoxybenzoyl)–cyclodextrin

Supramolecular enantiodifferentiating photoisomerization of (Z)-cyclooctene (1Z) to chiral (E)-isomer (1E) through inclusion and sensitization by 6-O-mono(o-methoxybenzoyl)--cyclodextrin (2) was investigated in water and in aqueous methanol solutions at various temperatures. A dramatic inversion of the product chirality was observed to occur by simply changing the solvent from water to methanol. Thus, the supramolecular photosensitization in aqueous solution gave (R)-(–)-1E in 15% enantiomeric excess (ee), whereas in methanol the antipodal (S)-(+)-1E was obtained in 5% ee. The temperature and solvent dependencies of the product ee are discussed.     

Charge Matching on Designing Neutral Cadmium–Lanthanide–Organic Open Frameworks for Luminescence Sensing

Through careful consideration of charge matching, a simple replacement of metal ion from Cd²⁺ to Ln³⁺ in a building unit successfully transforms an anionic microporous framework into a series of isostructural porous neutral heterometallic frameworks [Cd₃Ln₂(btc)₄(H₂O)₆(dmf)₄]⋅x(solvent) ( 1 ; Ln=Tb, Eu, Nd, Gd, Sm, dmf=N,N′-dimethylformamide) by employing five different lanthanide ions. 1-Tb and 1-Eu exhibit interesting photoluminescent properties, and remarkably, 1-Tb can act as a luminescent sensor to identify organic solvents and metal ions.     

Stimuli-Responsive Luminescent Properties of Tetraphenylethene-Based Strontium and Cobalt Metal–Organic Frameworks

Herein we report two new TPE-based 3D MOFs, that is, Sr-ETTB and Co-ETTB (TPE=Tetraphenylethylene, H₈ETTB=4′,4′′′,4′′′′′,4′′′′′′′-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrakis(([1,1′-biphenyl]-3,5-dicarboxylic acid))). Through tailoring outer shell electron configurations of Sr^II and Co^II cations, the fluorescence intensity of the MOFs is tuned from high emission to complete non-emission. Sr-ETTB with strong blue fluorescence shows reversible fluorescence variations in response to pressure and temperature, which is directly related to the reversible deformation of the crystal structure. In addition, non-emissive Co-ETTB counterpart exhibits a turn-on fluorescent enhancement under the stimulation of analyte histidine. In the process, TPE-cored linkers in the MOFs are released through competitive coordination substitution and subsequently reassembled to perform aggregation-induced luminescence behavior originated from the organic linkers.     

Rapid Generation of Hierarchically Porous Metal–Organic Frameworks through Laser Photolysis

Hierarchically porous metal–organic frameworks (HP-MOFs) facilitate mass transfer due to mesoporosity while preserving the advantage of microporosity. This unique feature endows HP-MOFs with remarkable application potential in multiple fields. Recently, new methods such as linker labilization for the construction of HP-MOFs have emerged. To further enrich the synthetic toolkit of MOFs, we report a controlled photolytic removal of linkers to create mesopores within microporous MOFs at tens of milliseconds. Ultraviolet (UV) laser has been applied to eliminate “photolabile” linkers without affecting the overall crystallinity and integrity of the original framework. Presumably, the creation of mesopores can be attributed to the missing-cluster defects, which can be tuned through varying the time of laser exposure and ratio of photolabile/robust linkers. Upon laser exposure, MOF crystals shrank while metal oxide nanoparticles formed giving rise to the HP-MOFs. In addition, photolysis can also be utilized for the fabrication of complicated patterns with high precision, paving the way towards MOF lithography, which has enormous potential in sensing and catalysis.     

Proton Ordering of Ice and Gas‐Hydrate Frameworks. Nanostructural Approach

This paper reviews the state of research into lowtemperature proton ordering of ice and the results of theoretical predictions of energetically preferred proton configurations of regular water systems based on the topological model of strong and weak Hbonds. All systems under study have noncrystalline proton ordering. It is concluded that in the context of proton ordering problems, ice is the object of nanostructural analysis.     

Construction of Flexible-on-Rigid Hybrid-Phase Metal–Organic Frameworks for Controllable Multi-Drug Delivery

Multi-component MOFs contain multiple sets of unique and hierarchical pores, with different functions for different applications, distributed in their inter-linked domains. Herein, we report the construction of a class of precisely aligned flexible-on-rigid hybrid-phase MOFs with a unique rods-on-octahedron morphology. We demonstrated that hybrid-phase MOFs can be constructed based on two prerequisites: the partially matched topology at the interface of the two frameworks, and the structural flexibility of MOFs with acs topology, which can compensate for the differences in lattice parameters. Furthermore, we achieved domain selective loading of multiple guest molecules into the hybrid-phase MOF, as observed by scanning transmission electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry elemental mapping. Most importantly, we successfully applied the constructed hybrid-phase MOF to develop a dual-drug delivery system with controllable loading ratio and release kinetics.     

BN-Doped Metal–Organic Frameworks: Tailoring 2D and 3D Porous Architectures through Molecular Editing of Borazines

Building on the MOF approach to prepare porous materials, herein we report the engineering of porous BN-doped materials using tricarboxylic hexaarylborazine ligands, which are laterally decorated with functional groups at the full-carbon ‘inner shell’. Whilst an open porous 3D entangled structure could be obtained from the double interpenetration of two identical metal frameworks derived from the methyl substituted borazine, the chlorine-functionalised linker undergoes formation of a porous layered 2D honeycomb structure, as shown by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In this architecture, the borazine cores are rotated by 60° in alternating layers, thus generating large rhombohedral channels running perpendicular to the planes of the networks. An analogous unsubstituted full-carbon metal framework was synthesised for comparison. The resulting MOF revealed a crystalline 3D entangled porous structure, composed by three mutually interpenetrating networks, hence denser than those obtained from the borazine linkers. Their microporosity and CO₂ uptake were investigated, with the porous 3D BN-MOF entangled structure exhibiting a large apparent BET specific surface area (1091 m² g⁻¹) and significant CO₂ reversible adsorption (3.31 mmol g⁻¹) at 1 bar and 273 K.     

Structure-Activity Relationship of Insecticidal Steroids. V. 3β-Benzoyloxystigmastan-6-ones

The toxicity of steroid benzoates 4-10 for Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say.) larvae was studied by a contact-intestinal method. The most active growth and development regulator for this insect is 3-benzoyloxy-5-hydroxy-⁷-6-ketosteroid 9a.     

Isoreticular Linker Substitution in Conductive Metal–Organic Frameworks with Through-Space Transport Pathways

The extension of reticular chemistry concepts to electrically conductive three-dimensional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) has been challenging, particularly for cases in which strong interactions between electroactive linkers create the charge transport pathways. Here, we report the successful replacement of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) with a nickel glyoximate core in a family of isostructural conductive MOFs with Mn²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Cd²⁺. Different coordination environments of the framework metals lead to variations in the linker stacking geometries and optical properties. Single-crystal conductivity data are consistent with charge transport along the linker stacking direction, with conductivity values only slightly lower than those reported for the analogous TTF materials. These results serve as a case study demonstrating how reticular chemistry design principles can be extended to conductive frameworks with significant intermolecular contacts.     

Modular Customization and Regulation of Metal–Organic Frameworks for Efficient Membrane Separations

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered ideal membrane candidates for energy-efficient separations. However, the MOF membrane amount to date is only a drop in the bucket compared to the material collections. The fabrication of an arbitrary MOF membrane exhibiting inherent separation capacity of the material remains a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report a MOF modular customization strategy by employing four MOFs with diverse structures and physicochemical properties and achieving innovative defect-free membranes for efficient separation validation. Each membrane fully displays the separation potential according to the MOF pore/channel microenvironment, and consequently, an intriguing H₂/CO₂ separation performance sequence is achieved (separation factor of 1656–5.4, H₂ permeance of 964–2745 gas permeation unit). Taking advantage of this strategy, separation performance can be manipulated by a non-destructive modification separately towards the MOF module. This work establishes a universal full-chain demonstration for membrane fabrication-separation validation-microstructure modification and opens an avenue for exclusive customization of membranes for important separations.     

Redox-Active Mixed-Linker Metal–Organic Frameworks with Switchable Semiconductive Characteristics for Tailorable Chemiresistive Sensing

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), with diverse metal nodes and designable organic linkers, offer unique opportunities for the rational engineering of semiconducting properties. In this work, we report a mixed-linker conductive MOF system with both tetrathiafulvalene and Ni-bis(dithiolene) moieties, which allows the fine-tuning of electronic structures and semiconductive characteristics. By continuously increasing the molar ratio between tetrathiafulvalene and Ni-bis(dithiolene), the switching of the semiconducting behaviors from n-type to p-type was observed along with an increase in electrical conductivity by 3 orders of magnitude (from 2.88×10⁻⁷ S m⁻¹ to 9.26×10⁻⁵ S m⁻¹). Furthermore, mixed-linker MOFs were applied for the chemiresistive detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), where the sensing performance was modulated by the corresponding linker ratios, showing synergistic and nonlinear modulation effects.     

Single-Crystal Transformation Engineering the Spin Change of Metal–Organic Frameworks via Cluster Deconstruction

Spin crossover (SCO) materials with new architectures will expand and enrich the research in the SCO field. Here, we report two metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing tetradentate organic ligands and hexatopic linkers [Ag₈X₈(CN)₆]⁶⁻ (X=Br and I), which represents the first SCO MOF with clusters as building blocks. The silver halide cluster can be further removed after reacting with lithium tetracyanoquinodimethan (LiTCNQ). Such post-synthetic modification (PSM) is realized via single-crystal to single-crystal (SCSC) transformation from urk to nbo topology. Accordingly, the spin state and fluorescence properties are greatly modified by cluster deconstruction. Therefore, these achievements will provide new ideas for the design of new SCO systems and the development of PSM methods.     

Complete Glucose Electrooxidation Enabled by Coordinatively Unsaturated Copper Sites in Metal–Organic Frameworks

The electrocatalytic oxidation of glucose plays a vital role in biomass conversion, renewable energy, and biosensors, but significant challenges remain to achieve high selectivity and high activity simultaneously. In this study, we present a novel approach for achieving complete glucose electrooxidation utilizing Cu-based metal-hydroxide-organic framework (Cu-MHOF) featuring coordinatively unsaturated Cu active sites. In contrast to traditional Cu(OH)₂ catalysts, the Cu-MHOF exhibits a remarkable 40-fold increase in electrocatalytic activity for glucose oxidation, enabling exclusive oxidation of glucose into formate and carbonate as the final products. The critical role of open metal sites in enhancing the adsorption affinity of glucose and key intermediates was confirmed by control experiments and density functional theory simulations. Subsequently, a miniaturized nonenzymatic glucose sensor was developed showing superior performance with a high sensitivity of 214.7 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻², a wide detection range from 0.1 μM to 22 mM, and a low detection limit of 0.086 μM. Our work provides a novel molecule-level strategy for designing catalytically active sites and could inspire the development of novel metal–organic framework for next-generation electrochemical devices.     

Enhancing Multicomponent Metal–Organic Frameworks for Low Pressure Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier Separations

The resurgence of interest in the hydrogen economy could hinge on the distribution of hydrogen in a safe and efficient manner. Whilst great progress has been made with cryogenic hydrogen storage or liquefied ammonia, liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) remain attractive due to their lack of need for cryogenic temperatures or high pressures, most commonly a cycle between methylcyclohexane and toluene. Oxidation of methylcyclohexane to release hydrogen will be more efficient if the equilibrium limitations can be removed by separating the mixture. This report describes a family of six ternary and quaternary multicomponent metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that contain the three-dimensional cubane-1,4-dicarboxylate (cdc) ligand. Of these MOFs, the most promising is a quaternary MOF (CUB-30), comprising cdc, 4,4′-biphenyldicarboxylate (bpdc) and tritopic truxene linkers. Contrary to conventional wisdom that adsorptive interactions with larger, hydrocarbon guests are dominated by π–π interactions, here we report that contoured aliphatic pore environments can exhibit high selectivity and capacity for LOHC separations at low pressures. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, where selective adsorption for cyclohexane over benzene is witnessed, underlining the unique adsorptive behavior afforded by the unconventional cubane moiety.     

Heteroatom-Doped Ag25 Nanoclusters Encapsulated in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Atomically precise metal nanoclusters (NCs) with unique optical properties and abundant catalytic sites are promising in photocatalysis. However, their light-induced instability and the difficulty of utilizing the photogenerated carriers for photocatalysis pose significant challenges. Here, MAg₂₄ (M=Ag, Pd, Pt, and Au) NCs doped with diverse single heteroatoms have been encapsulated in a metal–organic framework (MOF), UiO-66-NH₂, affording MAg₂₄@UiO-66-NH₂. Strikingly, compared with Ag₂₅@UiO-66-NH₂, the MAg₂₄@UiO-66-NH₂ doped with heteroatom exhibits much enhanced activity in photocatalytic hydrogen production, among which AuAg₂₄@UiO-66-NH₂ presents the best activity up to 3.6 mmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹, far superior to all other counterparts. Moreover, they display excellent photocatalytic recyclability and stability. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy demonstrate that MAg₂₄ NCs encapsulated into the MOF create a favorable charge transfer pathway, similar to a Z-scheme heterojunction, when exposed to visible light. This promotes charge separation, along with optimized Ag electronic state, which are responsible for the superior activity in photocatalytic hydrogen production.