Hydrogen Storage in a Potassium‐Ion‐Bound Metal–Organic Framework Incorporating Crown Ether Struts as Specific Cation Binding Sites

To develop a metal–organic framework (MOF) for hydrogen storage, SNU‐200 incorporating a 18‐crown‐6 ether moiety as a specific binding site for selected cations has been synthesized. SNU‐200 binds K⁺, NH₄⁺, and methyl viologen(MV²⁺) through single‐crystal to single‐crystal transformations. It exhibits characteristic gas‐sorption properties depending on the bound cation. SNU‐200 activated with supercritical CO₂ shows a higher isosteric heat (Q_st) of H₂ adsorption (7.70 kJ mol^?1) than other zinc‐based MOFs. Among the cation inclusions, K⁺ is the best for enhancing the isosteric heat of the H₂ adsorption (9.92 kJ mol^?1) as a result of the accessible open metal sites on the K⁺ ion.     

Functionalization of Metal–Organic Frameworks through the Postsynthetic Transformation of Olefin Side Groups

For the first time, the adaptability of the C?C double bond as a versatile precursor for the postsynthetic modification (PSM) of microporous materials was extensively investigated and evaluated. Therefore, an olefin‐tagged 4,4′‐bipyridine linker was synthesized and successfully introduced as pillar linker within a 9,10‐triptycenedicarboxylate (TDC) zinc paddle‐wheel metal–organic framework (MOF) through microwave‐assisted synthesis. Different reactions, predominately used in organic chemistry, were tested, leading to the development of new postsynthetic reactions for the functionalization of solid materials. The postsynthetic oxidation of the olefin side groups applying osmium tetroxide (OsO₄) as a catalyst led to the formation of a microporous material with free vicinal diol functionalities. The epoxidation with dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) enabled the synthesis of epoxy‐functionalized MOFs. In addition to that, reaction procedures for a postsynthetic hydroboration with borane dimethyl sulfide as well as a photoinduced thiol–ene click reaction with ethyl mercaptan were developed. For all of these PSMs, yields of more than 90 % were obtained, entirely maintaining the crystallinity of the MOFs. Since the direct introduction of the corresponding groups by means of pre‐synthetic approaches is hardly possible, these new PSMs are useful tools for the functionalization of porous solids towards applications such as selective adsorption, separation, and catalysis.     

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‐DOBDC^4?=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.     

Spray‐Coating of Catalytically Active MOF–Polythiourea through Postsynthetic Polymerization

A UiO‐66‐NCS MOF was formed by postsynthetic modification of UiO‐66‐NH₂. The UiO‐66‐NCS MOFs displays a circa 20‐fold increase in activity against the chemical warfare agent simulant dimethyl‐4‐nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP) compared to UiO‐66‐NH₂, making it the most active MOF materials using a validated high‐throughput screening. The ?NCS functional groups provide reactive handles for postsynthetic polymerization of the MOFs into functional materials. These MOFs can be tethered to amine‐terminated polypropylene polymers (Jeffamines) through a facile room‐temperature synthesis with no byproducts. The MOFs are then crosslinked into a MOF–polythiourea (MOF–PTU) composite material, maintaining the catalytic properties of the MOF and the flexibility of the polymer. This MOF–PTU hybrid material was spray‐coated onto Nyco textile fibers, displaying excellent adhesion to the fiber surface. The spray‐coated fibers were screened for the degradation of DMNP and showed durable catalytic reactivity.     

Tailor‐Made Metal–Organic Frameworks from Functionalized Molecular Building Blocks and Length‐Adjustable Organic Linkers by Stepwise Synthesis

In this work, we have demonstrated a family of diamondoid metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) based on functionalized molecular building blocks and length‐adjustable organic linkers by using a stepwise synthesis strategy. We have successfully achieved not only “design” and “control” to synthesize MOFs, but also the functionalization of both secondary building units (SBUs) and organic linkers in the same MOF for the first time. Furthermore, the results of N₂ and H₂ adsorption show that their surface areas and hydrogen uptake capacities are determined by the most optimal combination of functional groups from SBUs and organic linkers, interpenetration, and free volume in this system. A member of this series, DMOF‐6 exhibits the highest surface area and H₂ adsorption capacity among this family of MOFs.     

Expanded Organic Building Units for the Construction of Highly Porous Metal–Organic Frameworks

Two new organic building units that contain dicarboxylate sites for their self‐assembly with paddlewheel [Cu₂(CO₂)₄] units have been successfully developed to construct two isoreticular porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), ZJU‐35 and ZJU‐36, which have the same tbo topologies (Reticular Chemistry Structure Resource (RCSR) symbol) as HKUST‐1. Because the organic linkers in ZJU‐35 and ZJU‐36 are systematically enlarged, the pores in these two new porous MOFs vary from 10.8 Å in HKUST‐1 to 14.4 Å in ZJU‐35 and 16.5 Å in ZJU‐36, thus leading to their higher porosities with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of 2899 and 4014 m² g^?1 for ZJU‐35 and ZJU‐36, respectively. High‐pressure gas‐sorption isotherms indicate that both ZJU‐35 and ZJU‐36 can take up large amounts of CH₄ and CO₂, and are among the few porous MOFs with the highest volumetric storage of CH₄ under 60 bar and CO₂ under 30 bar at room temperature. Their potential for high‐pressure swing adsorption (PSA) hydrogen purification was also preliminarily examined and compared with several reported MOFs, thus indicating the potential of ZJU‐35 and ZJU‐36 for this important application. Studies show that most of the highly porous MOFs that can volumetrically take up the greatest amount of CH₄ under 60 bar and CO₂ under 30 bar at room temperature are those self‐assembled from organic tetra‐ and hexacarboxylates that contain m‐benzenedicarboxylate units with the [Cu₂(CO₂)₄] units, because this series of MOFs can have balanced porosities, suitable pores, and framework densities to optimize their volumetric gas storage. The realization of the two new organic building units for their construction of highly porous MOFs through their self‐assembly with [Cu₂(CO₂)₄] units has provided great promise for the exploration of a large number of new tetra‐ and hexacarboxylate organic linkers based on these new organic building units in which different aromatic backbones can be readily incorporated into the frameworks to tune their porosities, pore structures, and framework densities, thus targeting some even better performing MOFs for very high gas storage and efficient gas separation under high pressure and at room temperature in the near future.     

Separation of Acetylene from Carbon Dioxide and Ethylene by a Water‐Stable Microporous Metal–Organic Framework with Aligned Imidazolium Groups inside the Channels

Separation of acetylene from carbon dioxide and ethylene is challenging in view of their similar sizes and physical properties. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in general are strong candidates for these separations owing to the presence of functional pore surfaces that can selectively capture a specific target molecule. Here, we report a novel 3D microporous cationic framework named JCM‐1 . This structure possesses imidazolium functional groups on the pore surfaces and pyrazolate as a metal binding group, which is well known to form strong metal‐to‐ligand bonds. The selective sorption of acetylene over carbon dioxide and ethylene in JCM‐1 was successfully demonstrated by equilibrium gas adsorption analysis as well as dynamic breakthrough measurement. Furthermore, its excellent hydrolytic stability makes the separation processes highly recyclable without a substantial loss in acetylene uptake capacity.     

Lithium‐Doped Silica‐Rich MIL‐101(Cr) for Enhanced Hydrogen Uptake

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) show promising characteristics for hydrogen storage application. In this direction, modification of under‐utilized large pore cavities of MOFs has been extensively explored as a promising strategy to further enhance the hydrogen storage properties of MOFs. Here, we described a simple methodology to enhance the hydrogen uptake properties of RHA incorporated MIL‐101 (RHA‐MIL‐101, where RHA is rice husk ash—a waste material) by controlled doping of Li⁺ ions. The hydrogen gas uptake of Li‐doped RHA‐MIL‐101 is significantly higher (up to 72 %) compared to the undoped RHA‐MIL‐101, where the content of Li⁺ ions doping greatly influenced the hydrogen uptake properties. We attributed the observed enhancement in the hydrogen gas uptake of Li‐doped RHA‐MIL‐101 to the favorable Li⁺ ion‐to‐H₂ interactions and the cooperative effect of silanol bonds of silica‐rich rice‐husk ash incorporated in MIL‐101.     

Enhancing the Water Stability of Al‐MIL‐101‐NH2 via Postsynthetic Modification

The resistance of metal–organic frameworks towards water is a very critical issue concerning their practical use. Recently, it was shown for microporous MOFs that the water stability could be increased by introducing hydrophobic pendant groups. Here, we demonstrate a remarkable stabilisation of the mesoporous MOF Al‐MIL‐101‐NH₂ by postsynthetic modification with phenyl isocyanate. In this process 86 % of the amino groups were converted into phenylurea units. As a consequence, the long‐term stability of Al‐MIL‐101‐URPh in liquid water could be extended beyond a week. In water saturated atmospheres Al‐MIL‐101‐URPh decomposed at least 12‐times slower than the unfunctionalised analogue. To study the underlying processes both materials were characterised by Ar, N₂ and H₂O sorption measurements, powder X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric and chemical analysis as well as solid‐state NMR and IR spectroscopy. Postsynthetic modification decreased the BET equivalent surface area from 3363 to 1555 m² g^?1 for Al‐MIL‐101‐URPh and reduced the mean diameters of the mesopores by 0.6 nm without degrading the structure significantly and reducing thermal stability. In spite of similar water uptake capacities, the relative humidity‐dependent uptake of Al‐MIL‐101‐URPh is slowed and occurs at higher relative humidity values. In combination with ¹H‐²⁷Al D ‐HMQC NMR spectroscopy experiments this favours a shielding mechanism of the Al clusters by the pendant phenyl groups and rules out pore blocking.     

Pore‐Environment Engineering with Multiple Metal Sites in Rare‐Earth Porphyrinic Metal–Organic Frameworks

Multi‐component metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with precisely controlled pore environments are highly desired owing to their potential applications in gas adsorption, separation, cooperative catalysis, and biomimetics. A series of multi‐component MOFs, namely PCN‐900(RE), were constructed from a combination of tetratopic porphyrinic linkers, linear linkers, and rare‐earth hexanuclear clusters (RE₆) under the guidance of thermodynamics. These MOFs exhibit high surface areas (up to 2523 cm² g^?1) and unlimited tunability by modification of metal nodes and/or linker components. Post‐synthetic exchange of linear linkers and metalation of two organic linkers were realized, allowing the incorporation of a wide range of functional moieties. Two different metal sites were sequentially placed on the linear linker and the tetratopic porphyrinic linker, respectively, giving rise to an ideal platform for heterogeneous catalysis.     

In Situ Modification of Metal–Organic Frameworks in Mixed‐Matrix Membranes

Processable films of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been long sought to advance the application of MOFs in various technologies from separations to catalysis. Herein, MOF–polymer mixed‐matrix membranes (MMMs) are described, formed on several substrates using a wide variety of MOF materials. These MMMs can be delaminated from their substrates to create free‐standing MMMs that are mechanically stable and pliable. The MOFs in these MMMs remain highly crystalline, porous, and accessible for further chemical modification through postsynthetic modification (PSM) and postsynthetic exchange (PSE) processes. Overall, the findings here demonstrate a versatile approach to preparing stable functional MMMs that should contribute significantly to the advancement of these materials.     

金属离子调控IRMOF3-sal的发光性质

通过后合成修饰将水杨醛(Salicylaldehyde, sal)锚装在金属-有机框架化合物IRMOF-3上, 捕获不同金属离子得到系列化合物IRMOF3-M_sal(M=Mg, Zn, Co, Cd, Ni, Eu, Nd, Pr, Tb); 采用红外光谱、元素分析和X射线粉末衍射对其进行表征, 并对其荧光性质进行了对比研究. 结果表明, IRMOF3-M_sal的荧光峰均发生较大蓝移且IRMOF3-Mg_sal的荧光强度最大.     

Control of Interpenetration and Gas‐Sorption Properties of Metal–Organic Frameworks by a Simple Change in Ligand Design

In metal–organic framework (MOF) chemistry, interpenetration greatly affects the gas‐sorption properties. However, there is a lack of a systematic study on how to control the interpenetration and whether the interpenetration enhances gas uptake capacities or not. Herein, we report an example of interpenetration that is simply controlled by the presence of a carbon–carbon double or single bond in identical organic building blocks, and provide a comparison of gas‐sorption properties for these similar frameworks, which differ only in their degree of interpenetration. Noninterpenetrated ( SNU‐70 ) and doubly interpenetrated ( SNU‐71 ) cubic nets were prepared by a solvothermal reaction of [Zn(NO₃)₂] ? 6 H₂O in N,N‐diethylformamide (DEF) with 4‐(2‐carboxyvinyl)benzoic acid and 4‐(2‐carboxyethyl)benzoic acid, respectively. They have almost‐identical structures, but the noninterpenetrated framework has a much bigger pore size (ca. 9.0×9.0 Å) than the interpenetrated framework (ca. 2.5×2.5 Å). Activation of the MOFs by using supercritical CO₂ gave SNU‐70′ and SNU‐71′ . The simulation of the PXRD pattern of SNU‐71′ indicates the rearrangement of the interpenetrated networks on guest removal, which increases pore size. SNU‐70′ has a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 5290 m² g^?1, which is the highest value reported to date for a MOF with a cubic‐net structure, whereas SNU‐71′ has a BET surface area of 1770 m² g^?1. In general, noninterpenetrated SNU‐70′ exhibits much higher gas‐adsorption capacities than interpenetrated SNU‐71′ at high pressures, regardless of the temperature. However, at P<1 atm, the gas‐adsorption capacities for N₂ at 77 K and CO₂ at 195 K are higher for noninterpenetrated SNU‐70′ than for interpenetrated SNU‐71′ , but the capacities for H₂ and CH₄ are the opposite; SNU‐71′ has higher uptake capacities than SNU‐70′ due to the higher isosteric heat of gas adsorption that results from the smaller pores. In particular, SNU‐70′ has exceptionally high H₂ and CO₂ uptake capacities. By using a post‐synthetic method, the C?C double bond in SNU‐70 was quantitatively brominated at room temperature, and the MOF still showed very high porosity (BET surface area of 2285 m² g^?1).     

A Guest‐Dependent Approach to Retain Permanent Pores in Flexible Metal–Organic Frameworks by Cation Exchange

Two anionic metal–organic frameworks were successfully prepared based on pre‐designed flexible multicarboxylate ligands and indium cations. Owing to the flexibility of the bridging organic linkers, which could not themselves sustain the frameworks, both of the frameworks showed thermal instability and shrinkage after removal of guest solvent molecules. Inspired by bamboo, we used a guest‐dependent approach to tune the permanent porosity of the MOFs. In this approach, several tetraalkyammonium cations of different sizes were introduced into the channels by cation exchange to act as partitions and to support the main frameworks. This approach significantly enhanced the stability of the framework and its permanent porosity. Moreover, the gas‐adsorption properties (such as gate sorption, hysteresis, and selectivity) of the MOFs were also modulated by the judicious choice of guest cations.     

Extreme Carbon Dioxide Sorption Hysteresis in Open‐Channel Rigid Metal–Organic Frameworks

A systematic study is presented of three closely related microporous metal‐organic frameworks the pore dimensions of which vary according to the choice of 4,4′‐bipyridyl linker. The tunable linker allows exploration of the effect of increasing pore dimensions on the sorption behavior of the frameworks. The MOFs described capture CO₂ under supercritical conditions and continue to sequester the gas under ambient conditions. Gas sorption isotherms for CO₂ are compared with thermogravimetric data, and the CO₂ molecules in the channels of the frameworks could be modeled using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. Crystallographic data were used to construct a theoretical model based on DFT methods to calculate framework electrostatic potential maps with a view to understanding the nature of the sorbate–sorbent interactions.     

Stereoselective Halogenation of Integral Unsaturated C‐C Bonds in Chemically and Mechanically Robust Zr and Hf MOFs

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) containing Zr^IV‐based secondary building units (SBUs), as in the UiO‐66 series, are receiving widespread research interest due to their enhanced chemical and mechanical stabilities. We report the synthesis and extensive characterisation, as both bulk microcrystalline and single crystal forms, of extended UiO‐66 (Zr and Hf) series MOFs containing integral unsaturated alkene, alkyne and butadiyne units, which serve as reactive sites for postsynthetic modification (PSM) by halogenation. The water stability of a Zr–stilbene MOF allows the dual insertion of both ?OH and ?Br groups in a single, aqueous bromohydrination step. Quantitative bromination of alkyne‐ and butadiyne‐containing MOFs is demonstrated to be stereoselective, as a consequence of the linker geometry when bound in the MOFs, while the inherent change in hybridisation and geometry of integral linker atoms is facilitated by the high mechanical stabilities of the MOFs, allowing bromination to be characterised in a single‐crystal to single‐crystal (SCSC) manner. The facile addition of bromine across the unsaturated C?C bonds in the MOFs in solution is extended to irreversible iodine sequestration in the vapour phase. A large‐pore interpenetrated Zr MOF demonstrates an I₂ storage capacity of 279 % w/w, through a combination of chemisorption and physisorption, which is comparable to the highest reported capacities of benchmark iodine storage materials for radioactive I₂ sequestration. We expect this facile PSM process to not only allow trapping of toxic vapours, but also modulate the mechanical properties of the MOFs.     

Switch‐On Fluorescence of a Perylene‐Dye‐Functionalized Metal–Organic Framework through Postsynthetic Modification

A perylene dye was introduced directly as a linker into a metal–organic framework (MOF) during synthesis. Depending on the dye concentration in the MOF synthesis mixture, different fluorescent materials were generated. The successful incorporation of the dye was proven by using ¹³C and ²⁷Al MAS NMR spectroscopy, by solution NMR spectroscopy after digestion of the MOF sample, and by synthesizing a reference dye without connecting groups, which could coordinate on the metal–oxo cluster inside the MOF. Fluorescence quenching effects of the MOF linker, 2‐aminoterephthalate, were observed and overcome by postsynthetic modification with acetic anhydride. We show here for the first time that amino groups, which can be used as anchoring points for covalent attachment of other molecules, are responsible for fluorescence quenching. Thus, a very promising strategy to implement switchable fluorescence into MOFs is shown here.     

Metal@COFs: Covalent Organic Frameworks as Templates for Pd Nanoparticles and Hydrogen Storage Properties of Pd@COF‐102 Hybrid Material

Three‐dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been demonstrated as a new class of templates for nanoparticles. Photodecomposition of the [Pd(η³‐C₃H₅)(η⁵‐C₅H₅)]@COF‐102 inclusion compound (synthesized by a gas‐phase infiltration method) led to the formation of the Pd@COF‐102 hybrid material. Advanced electron microscopy techniques (including high‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography) along with other conventional characterization techniques unambiguously showed that highly monodisperse Pd nanoparticles ((2.4±0.5) nm) were evenly distributed inside the COF‐102 framework. The Pd@COF‐102 hybrid material is a rare example of a metal‐nanoparticle‐loaded porous crystalline material with a very narrow size distribution without any larger agglomerates even at high loadings (30 wt %). Two samples with moderate Pd content (3.5 and 9.5 wt %) were used to study the hydrogen storage properties of the metal‐decorated COF surface. The uptakes at room temperature from these samples were higher than those of similar systems such as Pd@metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The studies show that the H₂ capacities were enhanced by a factor of 2–3 through Pd impregnation on COF‐102 at room temperature and 20 bar. This remarkable enhancement is not just due to Pd hydride formation and can be mainly ascribed to hydrogenation of residual organic compounds, such as bicyclopentadiene. The significantly higher reversible hydrogen storage capacity that comes from decomposed products of the employed organometallic Pd precursor suggests that this discovery may be relevant to the discussion of the spillover phenomenon in metal/MOFs and related systems.     

Clicked Isoreticular Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their High Performance in the Selective Capture and Separation of Large Organic Molecules

Three highly porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with a uniform rht‐type topological network but hierarchical pores were successfully constructed by the assembly of triazole‐containing dendritic hexacarboxylate ligands with Zn^II ions. These transparent MOF crystals present gradually increasing pore sizes upon extension of the length of the organic backbone, as clearly identified by structural analysis and gas‐adsorption experiments. The inherent accessibility of the pores to large molecules endows these materials with unique properties for the uptake of large guest molecules. The visible selective adsorption of dye molecules makes these MOFs highly promising porous materials for pore‐size‐dependent large‐molecule capture and separation.     

Postsynthetic modification of IRMOF‐3 with a copper iminopyridine complex as heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of 2‐aminobenzothiazoles

A copper iminopyridine complex has been immobilized on to a metal–organic framework (MOF) through postsynthetic modification of IRMOF‐3. The modified MOFs were fully demonstrated by using a variety of methods, and the structural integrity of the modified MOFs has been confirmed by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, it was shown that the modified IRMOF‐3 can act as an efficient solid catalyst for the synthesis of 2‐aminobenzothiazoles via the reaction of 2‐iodoanilines with isothiocyanates in a heterogeneous manner. Moreover, the catalyst could be facilely separated from the reaction mixture and reused for six consecutive cycles without significant degradation in catalytic activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.