A series of metal-organic frameworks constructed with arenesulfonates and 4,4′-bipy ligands

Five transition metal compounds containing arenesulfonates and 4,4′-bipy ligands, namely [Zn₂(N,N′-4,4′-bipy)(N-4,4′-bipy)₂(H₂O)₈](bpds)₂ · 5H₂O (1), [Ag₂(N,N′-4,4′-bipy)₂(bpds)] (2), [Cd(N,N′-4,4′-bipy)(H₂O)₄]₂(4-abs)₄ · 5H₂O (3), [Cu(N,N′-4,4′-bipy) (O-bs)₂(H₂O)₂] · 4H₂O (4), and [Zn(N,N′-4,4′-bipy)₂(H₂O)₂](4,4′-bipy)(bs)₂ · 4H₂O (5) (4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, bpds = 4,4′-biphenyldisulfonate, 4-abs = 4-aminobenzenesulfonate, bs = benzenesulfonate), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction, elemental analyses and TG analyses, in order to investigate the coordination chemistry of arenesulfonates and 4,4-bipy, as well as to construct novel coordination frameworks via mixed-ligand strategy. Compounds 2, 4 and 5 could be obtained via hydrothermal or aqueous reactions. Compound 1 forms a binuclear octahedral metal complex. Compounds 2–4 form polymeric chains. Compound 5 consists of 2D square grids with one intercalated 4,4′-bipy molecule. Weak Ag–Ag interactions are observed in compound 2. These complexes show great structural varieties and there are three different coordination modes observed for both the 4,4′-bipy and the sulfonate ligands.     

Atmospheric-pressure, liquid-phase, selective aerobic oxidation of alkanes catalysed by metal-organic frameworks

Aerobic oxidation of cyclooctane to its corresponding ol/one mixture at atmospheric pressure and in the liquid phase is efficiently promoted by an Fe(BTC) (BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) metal-organic framework, incorporating N-hydroxyphthalimide and in several cases reaches a selectivity over 90% at 28% conversion. This catalytic system is further extended to other hydrocarbons, such as ethylbenzene and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (tetralin), with high selectivity (>85%). This high selectivity in the product distribution arises from a radical reaction mechanism that occurs inside a hydrophobic cavity that preferentially adsorbs hydrocarbons over their corresponding alcohols. The system can be reused although there is a gradual decrease in turnover frequency, caused by minor changes in the crystal structure due to the formation of iron oxide nanoparticles. Given the sustainable nature of the oxidant and the mild conditions used, this discovery could serve to develop a new catalyst generation for the oxyfunctionalisation of hydrocarbon feedstocks with the real possibility of finding industrial application.     

Structures and H2 adsorption properties of porous scandium metal-organic frameworks

Two new three-dimensional Sc(III) metal-organic frameworks {[Sc(3)O(L(1))(3)(H(2)O)(3)]·Cl(0.5)(OH)(0.5)(DMF)(4)(H(2)O)(3)}(∞) (1) (H(2)L(1)=1,4-benzene-dicarboxylic acid) and {[Sc(3)O(L(2))(2)(H(2)O)(3)](OH)(H(2)O)(5)(DMF)}(∞) (2) (H(3)L(2)=1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene) have been synthesised and characterised. The structures of both 1 and 2 incorporate the trinuclear trigonal planar [Sc(3)(O)(O(2)CR)(6)] building block featuring three Sc(III) centres joined by a central μ(3)-O(2-) donor. Each Sc(III) centre is further bound by four oxygen donors from four different bridging carboxylate anions, and a molecule of water located trans to the μ(3)-O(2-) donor completes the six coordination at the metal centre. Frameworks 1 and 2 show high thermal stability with retention of crystallinity up to 350 °C. The desolvated materials 1a and 2a, in which the solvent has been removed from the pores but with water or hydroxide remaining coordinated to Sc(III), show BET surface areas based upon N(2) uptake of 634 and 1233 m(2) g(-1), respectively, and pore volumes calculated from the maximum N(2) adsorption of 0.25 cm(3) g(-1) and 0.62 cm(3) g(-1), respectively. At 20 bar and 78 K, the H(2) isotherms for desolvated 1a and 2a confirm 2.48 and 1.99 wt% total H(2) uptake, respectively. The isosteric heats of adsorption were estimated to be 5.25 and 2.59 kJ mol(-1) at zero surface coverage for 1a and 2a, respectively. Treatment of 2 with acetone followed by thermal desolvation in vacuo generated free metal coordination sites in a new material 2b. Framework 2b shows an enhanced BET surface area of 1511 m(2) g(-1) and a pore volume of 0.76 cm(3) g(-1), with improved H(2) uptake capacity and a higher heat of H(2) adsorption. At 20 bar, H(2) capacity increases from 1.99 wt% in 2a to 2.64 wt% for 2b, and the H(2) adsorption enthalpy rises markedly from 2.59 to 6.90 kJ mol(-1).     

Reticular chemistry of metal-organic polyhedra

Metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs), are discrete metal-organic molecular assemblies. They are useful as host molecules that can provide tailorable internal volume in terms of metrics, functionality, and active metal sites. As a result, these materials are potentially useful for a variety of applications, such as highly selective guest inclusion and gas storage, and as nanoscale reaction vessels. This review identifies the nine most important polyhedra, and describes the design principles for the five polyhedra most likely to result from the assembly of secondary building units, and provides examples of these shapes that are known as metal-organic crystals.     

Giant porphyrin disks: control of their self-assembly at liquid-solid interfaces through metal-ligand interactions

The synthesis and self-assembly behaviour of porphyrin dodecamers 1H(2) and Zn-1, which consist of twelve porphyrins that are covalently attached to a central aromatic core, is described. According to STM, 1D and 2D NMR studies, and molecular modelling calculations, the porphyrin dodecamers have a yo-yo-shaped structure. Their large pi surface, in combination with their disk-like shape, allows them to form self-assembled structures, which in the case of Zn-1 can be tuned by adding bidentate ligands. The self-assembly of the molecules at the liquid-solid interface of 1-phenyloctane with highly oriented pyrolytic graphite or Au(111) was imaged by using STM. The porphyrin disks in the self-assembled arrays have an edge-on orientation on the surface. The addition of bidentate axial ligands to the Zn-1 molecules in the arrays allows their intermolecular distance to be precisely controlled.     

Formaldehyde encapsulated in lithium-decorated metal-organic frameworks: a density functional theory study

The stability of monomeric formaldehyde encapsulated in the lithium-decorated metal-organic framework Li-MOF-5 was investigated by means of density functional calculations with the M06-L functional and the 6-31G(d,p) basis set. To assess the efficiency of Li-MOF-5 for formaldehyde preservation, we consider the reaction kinetics and the thermodynamic equilibrium between formaldehyde and its trimerized product, 1,3,5-trioxane. We propose that trimerization of encapsulated formaldehyde takes place in a single reaction step with an activation energy of 34.5 kcal mol(-1). This is 17.2 kcal mol(-1) higher than the corresponding activation energy in the bare system. In addition, the reaction energy of the system studied herein is endothermic by 6.1 kcal mol(-1) and the Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of the reaction becomes positive (11.0 kcal mol(-1)). Consequently, the predicted reverse rate for the trimerization reaction in the Li-MOF-5 is significantly faster than the forward rate. The calculations show that the oligomerization of formaldehyde in Li-MOF-5 is a reversible reaction, suggesting that such a zeolite might be a good candidate material for preserving formaldehyde in its monomeric form.     

Porous interpenetrated zirconium-organic frameworks (PIZOFs): a chemically versatile family of metal-organic frameworks

We present the synthesis and characterization of porous interpenetrated zirconium-organic frameworks (PIZOFs), a new family of metal-organic frameworks obtained from ZrCl(4) and the rodlike dicarboxylic acids HO(2)C[PE-P(R(1),R(2))-EP]CO(2) H that consist of alternating phenylene (P) and ethynylene (E) units. The substituents R(1),R(2) were broadly varied (alkyl, O-alkyl, oligo(ethylene glycol)), including postsynthetically addressable substituents (amino, alkyne, furan). The PIZOF structure is highly tolerant towards the variation of R(1) and R(2). This together with the modular synthesis of the diacids offers a facile tuning of the chemical environment within the pores. The PIZOF structure was solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The PIZOFs are stable under ambient conditions. PIZOF-2, the PIZOF prepared from HO(2)C[PE-P(OMe,OMe)-EP]CO(2)H, served as a prototype to determine thermal stability and porosity. It is stable up to 325 °C in air as determined by using thermogravimetry and powder X-ray diffraction. Argon sorption isotherms on PIZOF-2 revealed a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 1250 m(2) g(-1) and a total pore volume of 0.68 cm(3) g(-1).     

Coordination chemistry of conformation-flexible 1,2,3,4,5,6-cyclohexanehexacarboxylate: trapping various conformations in metal-organic frameworks

To study the conformations of 1,2,3,4,5,6-cyclohexanehexacarboxylic acid (H(6)L), eleven new coordination polymers have been isolated from hydrothermal reactions of different metal salts with 1e,2a,3e,4a,5e,6a-cyclohexanehexacarboxylic acid (3e+3a, H(6)L(I)) and characterized. They are [Cd(12)(mu(6)-L(II))(mu(10)-L(II))(3)(mu-H(2)O)(6)(H(2)O)(6)]16.5 H(2)O (1), Na(12)[Cd(6)(mu(6)-L(II))(mu(6)-L(III))(3)]27 H(2)O (2), [Cd(3)(mu(13)-L(II))(mu-H(2)O)] (3), [Cd(3)(mu(6)-L(III))(2,2'-bpy)(3)(H(2)O)(3)]2 H(2)O (4), [Cd(4)(mu(4)-L(VI))(2)(4,4'-Hbpy)(4)(4,4'-bpy)(2)(H(2)O)(4)]9.5 H(2)O (5), [Cd(2)(mu(6)-L(II))(4,4'-Hbpy)(2)(H(2)O)(10)]5 H(2)O (6), [Cd(3)(mu(11)-L(VI))(H(2)O)(3)] (7), [M(3)(mu(9)-L(II))(H(2)O)(6)] (M=Mn (8), Fe (9), and Ni (10)), and [Ni(4)(OH)(2)(mu(10)-L(II))(4,4'-bpy)(H(2)O)(4)]6 H(2)O (11). Three new conformations of 1,2,3,4,5,6-cyclohexanehexacarboxylate, 6e (L(II)), 4e+2a (L(III)) and 5e+1a (L(VI)), have been derived from the conformational conversions of L(I) and trapped in these complexes by controlling the conditions of the hydrothermal systems. Complexes 1 and 2 have three-dimensional (3D) coordination frameworks with nanoscale cages and are obtained at relatively low temperatures. A quarter of the L(I) ligands undergo a conformational transformation into L(II) while the others are transformed into L(III) in the presence of NaOH in 2, while all of the L(I) are transformed into L(II) in the absence of NaOH in 1. Complex 3 has a 3D condensed coordination framework, which was obtained under similar reaction conditions as 1, but at a higher temperature. The addition of 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bpy) or 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bpy) to the hydrothermal system as an auxiliary ligand also induces the conformational transformation of H(6)L(I). A new L(VI) conformation has been trapped in complexes 4-7 under different conditions. Complex 4 has a 3D microporous supramolecular network constructed from a 2D L(III)-bridged coordination layer structure by pi-pi interactions between the chelating 2,2'-bpy ligands. Complexes 5-7 have different frameworks with L(II)/L(VI) conformations, which were prepared by using different amounts of 4,4'-bpy under similar synthetic conditions. Both 5 and 7 are 3D coordination frameworks involving the L(VI) ligands, while 6 has a 3D microporous supramolecular network constructed from a 2D L(II)-bridged coordination layer structure by interlayer N(4,4'-Hbpy)--HO(L(II)) hydrogen bonds. 3D coordination frameworks 8-11 have been obtained from the H(6)L(I) ligand and the paramagnetic metal ions Mn(II), Fe(II), and Ni(II), and their magnetic properties have been studied. Of particular interest to us is that two copper coordination polymers of the formulae [{Cu(II) (2)(mu(4)-L(II))(H(2)O)(4)}{Cu(I) (2)(4,4'-bpy)(2)}] (12 alpha) and [Cu(II)(Hbtc)(4,4'-bpy)(H(2)O)]3 H(2)O (H(3)btc=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid) (12 beta) resulted from the same one-pot hydrothermal reaction of Cu(NO(3))(2), H(6)L(I), 4,4'-bpy, and NaOH. The Hbtc(2-) ligand in 12 beta was formed by the in situ decarboxylation of H(6)L(I). The observed decarboxylation of the H(6)L(I) ligand to H(3)btc may serve as a helpful indicator in studying the conformational transformation mechanism between H(6)L(I) and L(II-VI). Trapping various conformations in metal-organic structures may be helpful for the stabilization and separation of various conformations of the H(6)L ligand.     

Rethinking Arsenate Coordination at the Surface of Goethite

When the truth stands on one leg : Arsenate coordinates at the water–goethite interface in a predominately monodentate fashion (see picture), a finding that impacts oxoanion bioavailability and challenges theories of mineral dissolution and surface complexation.

     

Syntheses,structures and luminescent properties of two 3D pillared open frameworks with unique 6-connected structures based on 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonate

Two coordination polymers, [Ba(H₂L)(H₂O)]_n·nH₂O (1) and [La(HL)(H₂O)]_n·nH₂O (2) (Na₂H₂L = 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid disodium salt), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The central metal ions are nine-coordinate with distorted tricapped trigonal prismatic arrangements. Compounds 1 and 2 have 3-D metal–organic framework (MOF) structures which are created by 2-D inorganic layers [Ba₂S₂O₅]_n and [La₂S₂O₅]_n through organic phenyl moieties of HL^3? linkages. The inorganic layers and organic pillars are alternately arranged to generate the 3-D pillared-layered open frameworks with (4¹¹, 6⁴) topologies. Results of fluorescence measurements reveal that two decayed emission bands centered at 435 and 408 nm may be caused by interactions of the ligands and the metal ions. The respective luminescence emission peaks appear at different wavelengths and intensities, which can be affected by the metal ions.     

Ab initio parametrized MM3 force field for the metal-organic framework MOF-5

A new valence force field has been developed and validated for a particular class of coordination polymers known as nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), introduced recently by the group of Yaghi. The experimental, structural, and spectroscopic data in combination with density functional theory calculations on several model systems were used to parametrize the bonded terms of the force field, which explicitly treats the metal-oxygen interactions as partially covalent as well as distinguishes different types of oxygens in the framework. Both the experimental crystal structure of MOF-5 and vibrational infrared spectrum are reproduced reasonably well. The proposed force field is believed to be useful in atomistic simulations of adsorption/diffusion of guest molecules inside the flexible pores of this important class of MOF materials.     

金属纳米材料表面配体聚集效应

金属纳米材料表面配体不仅可以稳定金属纳米颗粒,辅助合成特定尺寸和形貌的纳米材料,还可用于调控金属纳米颗粒的表面化学性质。由于现有表征技术的局限性,金属纳米材料表面有机配体的结构和功能一直以来并未被深入研究。得益于分子结构明确金属纳米团簇和其他模型纳米材料体系的发展,配体在金属纳米材料表面的精确配位结构及其对催化过程的促进作用正不断被揭示出来。金属表面有机分子配位不仅可以调控表面金属电子结构,还可以分割表面原子周期性结构。表面有机配体的聚集可以进一步在金属表面构筑3D空间结构,改变纳米材料亲疏水性,并影响催化底物和反应中间体与表面的相互作用强弱和吸附构型。此外,有机配体与表面金属所组成的界面还可以构筑新的活性位点,改变催化反应路径,从而提升催化反应活性和选择性。金属纳米材料表面有机配体的聚集效应使得异相纳米材料可以同时表现出均相催化和酶催化的优势。