Single‐Crystal to Single‐Crystal Linker Substitution,Linker Place Exchange,and Transmetalation Reactions in Interpenetrated Pillared–Bilayer Zinc(II) Metal–Organic Frameworks

A twofold interpenetrated pillared–bilayer framework, {Zn₃( L )₂( L₂ )(DMF)] ? (18DMF)(6H₂O)}_n ( 1 ), has been synthesized from the ligands tris(4′‐carboxybiphenyl)amine ( H₃L ) and 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethylene ( L₂ ). The structure contains Zn₃(COO)₆] secondary building units (SBUs), in which three Zn^II ions are almost linear with carboxylate bridging. This framework undergoes reversible pillar linker substitution reactions at the terminal Zn^II centers with three different dipyridyl linkers of different lengths to afford three daughter frameworks, 2 – 4 . Frameworks 2 – 4 are interconvertible through reversible linker substitution reactions. Also, competitive linker‐exchange experiments show preferential incorporation of linker L₃ in the parent framework 1 . The larger linker L₅ does not undergo such substitution reactions and framework 5 , which contains this linker, can be synthesized solvothermally as a twofold interpenetrated structure. Interestingly, when framework 5 is dipped in a solution of L₃ in DMF, linker substitution takes place as before, but linker L₅ now moves and diagonally binds two Zn^II centers to afford 6 as a nonpenetrated single framework. This linker place exchange reaction is unprecedented. All of these reactions take place in a single‐crystal to single‐crystal (SC‐SC) manner, and have been observed directly through X‐ray crystallography. In addition, each 3D framework undergoes complete copper(II) transmetalation.