Amplified luminescence quenching of phosphorescent metal-organic frameworks

Amplified luminescence quenching has been demonstrated in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) composed of Ru(II)-bpy building blocks with long-lived, largely triplet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited states. Strong non-covalent interactions between the MOF surface and cationic quencher molecules coupled with rapid energy transfer through the MOF microcrystal facilitates amplified quenching with a 7000-fold enhancement of the Stern-V?lmer quenching constant for methylene blue compared to a model complex.     

Influence of connectivity and porosity on ligand-based luminescence in zinc metal-organic frameworks

Applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) require close correlation between their structure and function. We describe the preparation and characterization of two zinc MOFs based on a flexible and emissive linker molecule, stilbene, which retains its luminescence within these solid materials. Reaction of trans-4,4'-stilbene dicarboxylic acid and zinc nitrate in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) yielded a dense 2-D network, 1, featuring zinc in both octahedral and tetrahedral coordination environments connected by trans-stilbene links. Similar reaction in N,N-diethylformamide (DEF) at higher temperatures resulted in a porous, 3-D framework structure, 2. This framework consists of two interpenetrating cubic lattices, each featuring basic zinc carboxylate vertices joined by trans-stilbene, analogous to the isoreticular MOF (IRMOF) series. We demonstrate that the optical properties of both 1 and 2 correlate with the local ligand environments observed in the crystal structures. Steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements reveal that the stilbene linkers in the dense structure 1 exhibit a small degree of interchromophore coupling. In contrast, the stilbenoid units in 2 display very little interaction in this low-density 3-D framework, with excitation and emission spectra characteristic of monomeric stilbenes, similar to the dicarboxylic acid in dilute solution. In both cases, the rigidity of the stilbene linker increases upon coordination to the inorganic units through inhibition of torsion about the central ethylene bond, resulting in luminescent crystals with increased emission lifetimes compared to solutions of trans-stilbene. The emission spectrum of 2 is found to depend on the nature of the incorporated solvent molecules, suggesting use of this or related materials in sensor applications.     

Hydrothermal synthesis, crystal structure and luminescence of four novel metal-organic frameworks

Using the principle of crystal engineering, four novel metal-organic coordination polymers, {[Cd₁(nic)2(H₂O)]2[Cd₂(nic)2(H₂O)2]}_n (1), [Cd₂(fma)2(phen)2]_n (2), [Cd(fma)(bipy)(H₂O)]_n (3) and [Zn(mal)(bipy)·3H₂O]_n (4) (nic=nicotinate, fma=fumarate, mal=malate, phen=phenanthroline, bipy=2,2′-bipyridine) have been synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of M(CH₃COO)2·2H₂O (M=Zn, Cd) with nicotinic acid, fumaric acid and cooperative L (L=phen, bipy), respectively. X-ray analysis reveals that complex 1 possesses an unprecedented two-dimensional topology structure constructed from three-ply-like layers, complex 2 is an infinite 2D undulating network, complex 3 is a 1D zigzag chain and complex 4 belongs to a 1D chain. The results indicate a transformation of fumarate into malate during the course of hydrothermal treatment of complex 4. The photophysical properties have been investigated with luminescent excitation and emission spectra.     

Gyroidal metal-organic frameworks

The gyroid is ubiquitous for underlying the construction of natural substance and artificial zeolites, but it has been, surprisingly, overlooked by chemists who work in the field of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). In this work, a series of gyroidal MOFs with gie topology, constructed from 1,2-bis((5H-imidazol-4-yl)methylene)hydrazine and octahedral metal ions, such as Zn(II), Mn(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II), have been synthesized. The Zn(II) analogue, named as STU-1, shows exceptional thermal and chemical stabilities, and exhibits permanent porosity and CO(2) capture ability.     

Conjugated ligands modulated sandwich structures and luminescence properties of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks

A conjugated ligand, 2-(carboxylic acid)-6-(2-benzimidazolyl) pyridine (Hcbmp), and a series of Lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [Ln(2)(cbmp)(ox)(3)(H(2)O)(2)](2)·2H(3)O(+)·7H(2)O (Ln = Sm (3), Eu (4), and Gd (5), H(2)ox = oxalic acid) have been designed and assembled. To elucidate how the conjugated ligands modulate the structures and luminescence properties, we carried out the structural characterizations and luminescence studies of complexes 3 and 4, and their corresponding oxalate complexes [Ln(ox)(1.5)(H(2)O)(3)]·2H(2)O (Ln = Sm (1) and Eu (2)) were also investigated for comparison. The changes of luminescence behaviors upon dehydration and D(2)O-rehydration processes are presented and discussed in detail. The results indicated that, the cbmp(-) ligands distribute on both sides of the ox(-)-Ln bilayer network to construct a sandwich structure. Moreover, the lowest triplet state of cbmp(-) ligands can match well the energy levels of the Sm(3+) and Eu(3+) cations which allow the preparation of new Ln-MOF materials with enhanced luminescence properties. Meanwhile, the crystallinity of solid states produces more substantial change in the luminescence behaviors than removal or replacement of effective nonradiative relaxers.     

金属有机框架材料的研究进展

金属有机框架(metal-organic frameworks,MOFs)材料是一类由有机配体与金属中心经过自组装形成的具有可调节孔径的材料。与传统无机多孔材料相比,MOFs材料具有更大的比表面积,更高的孔隙率,结构及功能更加多样,因而已经被广泛应用于气体吸附与分离、传感器、药物缓释、催化反应等领域中。新兴材料的出现极大地促进了各个学科间的相互发展,本文综述了近年来MOFs材料的研究发展,包括MOFs材料自身的特点、国内外发展现状、应用领域以及复合MOFs材料的研究热点,并对今后的发展进行了展望。     

Light harvesting in microscale metal-organic frameworks by energy migration and interfacial electron transfer quenching

Microscale metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized from photoactive Ru(II)-bpy building blocks with strong visible light absorption and long-lived triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer ((3)MLCT) excited states. These MOFs underwent efficient luminescence quenching in the presence of either oxidative or reductive quenchers. Up to 98% emission quenching was achieved with either an oxidative quencher (1,4-benzoquinone) or a reductive quencher (N,N,N',N'-tetramethylbenzidine), as a result of rapid energy migration over several hundred nanometers followed by efficient electron transfer quenching at the MOF/solution interface. The photoactive MOFs act as an excellent light-harvesting system by combining intraframework energy migration and interfacial electron transfer quenching.     

Structure, luminescence, and adsorption properties of two chiral microporous metal-organic frameworks

Two 3D chiral multifunctional microporous MOFs, Zn3(BTC)2(DMF)3(H2O).(DMF)(H2O) (1) and Cd(4)(BTC)3(DMF)2(H2O)2.6(H2O) (2) (H(3)BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid and DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide), have been synthesized in the presence of organic bases tributylamine (TBA) and triethylamine (TEA), respectively. 1 (C(30)H(38)N(4)O(18)Zn(3)) crystallizes in the tetragonal P4(1)2(1)2 space group (a = 13.6929(19) A, c = 50.664(10) A, V = 9499(3) A(3), and Z = 8). 2 (C33H39N2O28Cd4) crystallizes in the tetragonal P4(3)22 space group (a = 10.3503(4) A, c = 52.557(3) A, V = 5630.4(4) A(3), and Z = 4). X-ray crystallography reveals that 1 consists of a 3D open framework with the (6(3))(4)(6(2).8(2).10(2))(6.(4)8(2))(2) topology, but 2 exhibits a 3D open network with the (4(2).5)(2)(4.(4)5.(10)6.(8)7.(4)8(2)) topology. The solid-state excitation-emission spectra show that the strongest excitation peaks for 1 and 2 are at 341 and 319 nm, and their emission spectra mainly show strong peaks at 410 and 405 nm, respectively. The amounts adsorbed of 1 (2) are 169 mg/g (126 mg/g) for H2O, 137 mg/g (102 mg/g) for C2H5OH, and 133 mg/g (99 mg/g) for CH3OH, which are equivalent to the adsorption of about 62 (34) H2O, 20 (11) C2H5OH, and 28 (16) CH3OH per unit cell, respectively.     

Nanoporous carbohydrate metal-organic frameworks

The binding of alkali and alkaline earth metal cations by macrocyclic and diazamacrobicyclic polyethers, composed of ordered arrays of hard oxygen (and nitrogen) donor atoms, underpinned the development of host-guest supramolecular chemistry in the 1970s and 1980s. The arrangement of -OCCO- and -OCCN- chelating units in these preorganized receptors, including, but not limited to, crown ethers and cryptands, is responsible for the very high binding constants observed for their complexes with Group IA and IIA cations. The cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic oligosaccharides derived microbiologically from starch, also display this -OCCO- bidentate motif on both their primary and secondary faces. The self-assembly, in aqueous alcohol, of infinite networks of extended structures, which have been termed CD-MOFs, wherein γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) is linked by coordination to Group IA and IIA metal cations to form metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), is reported. CD-MOF-1 and CD-MOF-2, prepared on the gram-scale from KOH and RbOH, respectively, form body-centered cubic arrangements of (γ-CD)(6) cubes linked by eight-coordinate alkali metal cations. These cubic CD-MOFs are (i) stable to the removal of solvents, (ii) permanently porous, with surface areas of ~1200 m(2) g(-1), and (iii) capable of storing gases and small molecules within their pores. The fact that the -OCCO- moieties of γ-CD are not prearranged in a manner conducive to encapsulating single metal cations has led to our isolating other infinite frameworks, with different topologies, from salts of Na(+), Cs(+), and Sr(2+). This lack of preorganization is expressed emphatically in the case of Cs(+), where two polymorphs assemble under identical conditions. CD-MOF-3 has the cubic topology observed for CD-MOFs 1 and 2, while CD-MOF-4 displays a channel structure wherein γ-CD tori are perfectly stacked in one dimension in a manner reminiscent of the structures of some γ-CD solvates, but with added crystal stability imparted by metal-ion coordination. These new MOFs demonstrate that the CDs can indeed function as ligands for alkali and alkaline earth metal cations in a manner similar to that found with crown ethers. These inexpensive, green, nanoporous materials exhibit absorption properties which make them realistic candidates for commercial development, not least of all because edible derivatives, fit for human consumption, can be prepared entirely from food-grade ingredients.     

Sequential self-assembly in metal-organic frameworks

This perspective discusses the use of sequential self-assembly in the construction of metal-organic frameworks through the systematic insertion, replacement, and removal of organic structural building units. We review previous works that can be classified as such sequential self-assembly in multidimensional MOFs.     

Toward templated metal-organic frameworks: synthesis, structures, thermal properties, and luminescence of three novel lanthanide-adipate frameworks

Three novel praseodymium-adipate frameworks were synthesized hydrothermally. GWMOF-3 ([Pr(2)(adipic acid)(3)(H(2)O)(4)].adipic acid.4H(2)O) and GWMOF-6 ([Pr(2)(adipic acid)(3)(H(2)O)(2)].4,4'-dipyridyl) formed three-dimensional structures, whereas GWMOF-4 ([Pr(2)(adipic acid)(3)(H(2)O)(2)].H(2)O) produced a more dense, two-dimensional topology. Single-crystal X-ray and powder diffraction, IR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and elemental analysis were employed to characterize all samples. GWMOF-6 represents an innovative step forward in metal-organic framework synthesis where a neutral molecular species not used in the construction of the framework is utilized as a structure-directing agent, or template. Furthermore, this template molecule (4,4'-dipyridyl) is shown to sensitize the fluorescence of lanthanide metal centers in a europium analogue of GWMOF-6.     

Modeling gas separation in metal-organic frameworks

The gas adsorption and CO₂ separation properties of 9 different metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been modelled with grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) adsorption simulations. Adsorption of both pure gases and gas mixtures has been studied. MOFs are shown to have high selectivity for polar gases such as CO₂ over non-polar gases such as N₂. Selectivity of one polar gas from another can be altered by changing the polarity of the framework, pore geometry and also temperature. Often features that lead to good selectivity of CO₂ from N₂ also lead to poor selectivity of CO₂ from H₂O.     

Two hybrid polyoxometalate-pillared metal-organic frameworks

Two polyoxometalate-pillared 3D compounds, {Cu(5)(2-ptz)(6)(H(2)O)(4)(SiW(12)O(40))}·4H(2)O 1 and {Cu(9)(2-ptz)(12)(H(2)O)(6)(PMo(12)O(40))(2)}·H(2)O 2 (2-ptz = 5-(2-pyridyl)tetrazole) have been constructed based on different polyoxometalate anions, and copper-organic coordination polymer sheets by a hydrothermal method. Magnetic investigations reveal that both 1 and 2 exhibit antiferromagnetic coupling between the Cu(II) ions. Structural studies show the compound 1 exhibits a typical pcu-type net with the Sch?lfli symbol of {4(12)·6(3)}, and that compound 2 is a (3,4,6)-connected framework with novel {4(4)·6(10)·10}{6(3)}(2){6(5)·8} topology which has not been reported to date.     

Hydrogen sorption in functionalized metal-organic frameworks

Five porous metal-organic frameworks based on linking zinc oxide clusters with benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate, naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate, 4,5,9,10-tetrahydropyrene-2,7-dicarboxylate, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene-1,4-dicarboxylate, or benzene-1,3,5-tris(4-benzoate) were synthesized in gram-scale quantities to measure their hydrogen uptake properties. Hydrogen adsorption isotherms measured at 77 K show a distinct dependence of uptake on the nature of the link. At 1 atm, the materials sorb between 4.2 and 9.3 molecules of H2 per formula unit. The results imply a trend in hydrogen uptake with the number of rings in the organic moiety.     

Luminescent multifunctional lanthanides-based metal-organic frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks based on trivalent lanthanides (LnMOFs) are a very promising class of materials for addressing the challenges in engineering of luminescent centres. Lanthanide-bearing phosphors find numerous applications in lighting, optical communications, photonics and biomedical devices. In this critical review we discuss the potential of LnMOFs as multifunctional systems, which combine light emission with properties such as microporosity, magnetism, chirality, molecule and ion sensing, catalysis and activity as multimodal imaging contrast agents. We argue that these materials present a unique chance of observing synergy between several of these properties, such as the coupling between photoluminescence and magnetism. Moreover, an integrated approach towards the design of efficient, stable, cheap, environmentally-friendly and multifunctional luminescent LnMOFs is still missing. Although research into LnMOFs is at its early stage and much basic knowledge is still needed, the field is ripe for new ideas, which will enable sensor devices and photonic prototypes to become a commercial reality (81 references).     

Synthesis, structure and luminescence properties of metal-organic frameworks based on benzo-bis(imidazole)

Metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)constructed from conjugated organic ligands are candidates for hybrid photoactive materials with potential applications.Compared to that from the ligands only,the intensity and wavelength of the luminescence could be tuned after they were incorporated in extended framework.In this report,by using an organic ligand with azolate moiety,benzo-bis(imidazole)(H2BBI),we synthesized two new MOF structures.Framework 1([Co(H2BBI)(DMSO)2Cl2]n,DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide),constructed from tetrahedral Co(II)and H2BBI,exhibits zigzag 1D structure.Meanwhile,framework 2([Cu2(H2BBI)3(DMSO)6(NO3)4]n),a layered structure with hcb topology,was assembled from tetragonal pyramidal Cu(II)and H2BBI.Furthermore,2 exhibits strong luminescence emission(ex=280 nm).A blue shift of 40 nm(from 359 nm to 319 nm)was observed in framework 2 compared to the free ligand,which could be explained by the ligand-to-metal charge transfer in the network.