One‐Step Synthesis of Hybrid Core–Shell Metal–Organic Frameworks

Mesoporous metal-organic framework NH2-MIL-101(Cr) as an efficient photocatalyst for the epoxidation of styrene

Oxidation of styrene is a key reaction in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals, and therefore oxidizing styrene with selective, efficient, and recyclable heterogeneous catalysts is significant from an environmental and economic standpoint. In this study, we report the transition Cr-based metal-organic framework [NH2-MIL-101(Cr)] as a heterogeneous photocatalyst, which efficiently promotes styrene epoxidation using H2O2 as a green oxidant, achieving high conversion efficiency (98%) and excellent selectivity (82%) under ambient conditions. Radical detection and quenching experiments reveal that the superoxide radical anion (O2˙-) acts as an active oxygen species, selectively promoting the oxidation of styrene to its oxidized form. This work provides insight into the development of a sustainable and cost-effective method for producing styrene oxide.

Controlling Triboelectric Charge of MOFs by Leveraging Ligands Chemistry

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), but the effects of ligand choice on triboelectric charge remain underexplored. Hence, this paper demonstrates the effect of single, binary, and ternary ligands on TENG performance of cobalt/cerium-based (Co─Ce) bimetallic MOFs utilizing 2-methylimidazole (2Melm), terephthalic acid (BDC), and benzene tricarboxylic acid (BTC) as ligands. The detailed structural characterization revealed that varying ligand chemistries led to distinct MOF features affecting TENG performance. Single ligand bimetallic MOFs (designated as CoCe-2MeIm, CoCe-BDC, CoCe-BTC) has lower performance than binary ligand (designated as CoCe-2MeIm-BDC, CoCe-2MeIm-BTC, CoCe-BDC-BTC) and ternary ligand MOFs (designated as CoCe-2MeIm-BDC-BTC). Among all, the binary ligand MOF, CoCe-2MeIm-BTC, shows the best results (598 V, 26.7 µA) due to the combined effect of imidazole ring and (─COO─) groups. This is attributed to lone pairs on nitrogen atoms and a delocalized π-electron system in imidazole system in this material. CoCe-BTC has the lowest results (31 V, 3.2 µA) due to the bulkier nature of the electron-withdrawing (─COO─) groups and their impact on the π-electron system of the benzene ring. This study showcases the potential of ligand chemistry manipulation to control triboelectric charge and thereby enhance MOF-based TENG performance.

Interfacial Engineering of Heterogeneous Reactions for MOF-on-MOF Heterostructures

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a subclass of porous crystalline materials with unique structures and multifunctional properties, play a pivotal role in various research domains. In recent years, significant attention has been directed toward composite materials based on MOFs, particularly MOF-on-MOF heterostructures. Compared to individual MOF materials, MOF-on-MOF structures harness the distinctive attributes of two or more different MOFs, enabling synergistic effects and allowing for the tailored design of diverse multilayered architectures to expand their application scope. However, the rational design and facile synthesis of MOF-on-MOF composite materials are in principle challenging due to the structural diversity and the intricate interfaces. Hence, this review primarily focuses on elucidating the factors that influence their interfacial growth, with a specific emphasis on the interfacial engineering of heterogeneous reactions, in which MOF-on-MOF hybrids can be conveniently obtained by using pre-fabricated MOF precursors. These factors are categorized as internal and external elements, encompassing inorganic metals, organic ligands, lattice matching, nucleation kinetics, thermodynamics, etc. Meanwhile, these intriguing MOF-on-MOF materials offer a wide range of advantages in various application fields, such as adsorption, separation, catalysis, and energy-related applications. Finally, this review highlights current complexities and challenges while providing a forward-looking perspective on future research directions.

Hybrid organic frameworks: Synthesis strategies and applications in photocatalytic wastewater treatment - A review

Hybrid organic framework materials are a class of hierarchical porous crystalline materials that have emerged in recent years, composed of three types of porous crystal materials, namely metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs). The combination of various organic framework properties in hybrid organic frameworks generates synergistic effects, which has attracted widespread attention from researchers. The synthesis methods of hybrid organic frameworks are also an intriguing topic, enabling the formation of core-shell heterostructures through epitaxial growth, template conversion, medium growth, or direct combination. These hybrid organic framework materials have demonstrated remarkable performance in the application of photocatalytic wastewater purification and have developed various forms of applications. This article reviews the preparation principles and methods of various hybrid organic frameworks and provides a detailed overview of the research progress of photocatalytic water purification hybrid organic frameworks. Finally, the challenges and development prospects of hybrid organic framework synthesis and their application in water purification are briefly discussed.

Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) for oral delivery of insulin

Successful oral insulin administration can considerably enhance the quality of life (QOL) of diabetes patients who must frequently take insulin injections. Oral insulin administration, on the other hand, is seriously hampered by gastrointestinal enzymes, wide pH range, mucus and mucosal layers, which limit insulin oral bioavailability to ≤ 2%. Therefore, a large number of technological solutions have been proposed to increase the oral bioavailability of insulin, in which polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) are highly promising for oral insulin delivery. The recently published research articles chosen for this review are based on applications of PNPs with strong future potential in oral insulin delivery, and do not cover all related work. In this review, we will summarize the controlled release mechanisms of oral insulin delivery, latest oral insulin delivery applications of PNPs nanocarrier, challenges and prospect. This review will serve as a guide to the future investigators who wish to engineer and study PNPs as oral insulin delivery systems.

One-Pot Synthesis of MOF@MOF: Structural Incompatibility Leads to Core-Shell Structure and Adaptability Control Makes the Sequence

Core-shell metal-organic frameworks (MOF@MOF) are promising materials with sophisticated structures that cannot only enhance the properties of MOFs but also endow them with new functions. The growth of isotopic lcore-shell MOFs is mostly limited to inconvenient stepwise seeding strategies with strict requirements, and by far one-pot synthesis is still of great challenge due to the interference of different components. Through two pairs of isoreticular MOFs, it reveals that the structural incompatibility is a prerequisite for the formation of MOFs@MOFs by one-pot synthesis, as illustrated by PMOF-3@HHU-9. It further unveils that the adaptability of the shell-MOF is a more key factor for nucleation kinetic control. MOFs with flexible linkers has comparably slower nucleation than MOFs with rigid linkers (forming PMOF-3@NJU-Bai21), and structural-flexible MOFs built by flexible linkers show the lowest nucleation and the most adaptability (affording NJU-Bai21@HHU-9). This degree of adaptability variation controls the sequence and further facilitates the synthesis of a first triple-layered core-shell MOF (PMOF-3@NJU-Bai21@HHU-9) by one-pot synthesis. The insight gained from this study will aid in the rational design and synthesis of other multi-shelled structures by one-pot synthesis and the further expansion of their applications.

"Photochemical Surgery" of 1D Metal-Organic Frameworks with a Site-Selective Solubilization/Crystallization Strategy

One-dimensional (1D) hybrid MOFs are attractive if they consist of different MOF blocks with interconnected channels. However, the precision synthesis of such 1D multiblock MOFs with the desired block lengths and sequences remains a formidable challenge. Herein we propose the "photochemical surgery" method, which combines top-down and bottom-up approaches to enable the site-selective solubilization (removal)/crystallization (reconstruction) of 1D MOFs. We employed photoreactive MOFs, which were prepared by complexing either Cd2+ or Zn2+ with a mixture containing a photochromic bispyridyl ligand (PyDTEopen or PyDTZEopen) and an isophthalate (5-nitroisophthalate (nip2-) or 5-bromoisophthalate (bip2-)). These MOFs were obtained as high-aspect-ratio, needlelike, colorless crystals that bore 1D channels oriented parallel to the long needle axis. When photoreactive DTECdMOFNO2 ([Cd(nip)(PyDTEopen)(H2O)]n), for example, was immobilized at both ends with a metal alloy on a glass substrate and exposed to UV light through a photomask for 60 min in N,N-dimethylformamide/methanol (DMF/MeOH), the unmasked part was removed via solubilization to produce a 50 μm gap. The resulting specimen was immersed for 24 h at 25 °C in DMF/MeOH containing the necessary components for the construction of DTZECdMOFNO2 ([Cd(nip)(PyDTZEopen)(H2O)]n). Eventually, the gap was filled with DTZECdMOFNO2 to produce a triblock hybrid MOF (DTECdMOFNO2-DTZECdMOFNO2-DTECdMOFNO2). The result of a guest diffusion experiment confirmed that the newly formed DTZECdMOFNO2 block shared its 1D channels with the host DTECdMOFNO2 blocks. "Photochemical surgery" can be applied to synthesize 1D hybrid MOFs bearing unconventional sequences and morphologies, e.g., honeycomb- and inverted-honeycomb-patterned hybrids.

A cage-on-MOF strategy to coordinatively functionalize mesoporous MOFs for manipulating selectivity in adsorption and catalysis

Functionalizing porous materials with capping agents generates hybrid materials with enhanced properties, while the challenge is how to improve the selectivity and maintain the porosity of the parent framework. Herein, we developed a "Cage-on-MOF" strategy to tune the recognition and catalytic properties of MOFs without impairing their porosity. Two types of porous coordination cages (PCCs) of opposite charges containing secondary binding groups were developed to coordinatively functionalize two distinct porous MOFs, namely MOF@PCC nanocomposites. We demonstrated that the surface-capped PCCs can act as "modulators" to effectively tune the surface charge, stability, and adsorption behavior of different host MOF particles. More importantly, the MOF@PCCs can serve as selective heterogeneous catalysts for condensation reactions to achieve reversed product selectivity and excellent recyclability. This work sets the foundation for using molecular cages as porous surface-capping agents to functionalize and manipulate another porous material, without affecting the intrinsic properties of the parent framework.

Yolk-Shell and Hollow Zr/Ce-UiO-66 for Manipulating Selectivity in Tandem Reactions and Photoreactions

One of the hallmarks of multicomponent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is to finely tune their active centers to achieve product selectivity. In particular, obtaining bimetallic MOF hollow structures with precisely tailored redox centers under the same topology is still challenging despite a recent surge of such efforts. Herein, we present an engineering strategy named "cluster labilization" to generate hierarchically porous MOF composites with hollow structures and tunable active centers. By partially replacing zirconium with cerium in the hexanuclear clusters of UiO-66, unevenly distributed yolk-shell structures (YSS) were formed. Through acid treatment or annealing of the YSS precursor, single-shell hollow structures (SSHS) or double-shell hollow structures (DSHS) can be obtained, respectively. The active centers in SSHS and DSHS differ in their species, valence, and spatial locations. More importantly, YSS, SSHS, and DSHS with distinct active centers and microenvironments exhibit tunable catalytic activity, reversed selectivity, and high stability in the tandem reaction and the photoreaction.

Recent Advances in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and Their Composites for Non-Enzymatic Electrochemical Glucose Sensors

In recent years, with pressing needs such as diabetes management, the detection of glucose in various substrates has attracted unprecedented interest from researchers in academia and industry. As a relatively new glucose sensor, non-enzymatic target detection has the characteristics of high sensitivity, good stability and simple manufacturing process. However, it is urgent to explore novel materials with low cost, high stability and excellent performance to modify electrodes. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composites have the advantages of large surface area, high porosity and high catalytic efficiency, which can be utilized as excellent materials for electrode modification of non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. However, MOFs and their composites still face various challenges and difficulties that limit their further commercialization. This review introduces the applications and the challenges of MOFs and their composites in non-enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. Finally, an outlook on the development of MOFs and their composites is also presented.

Bioinspired Framework Catalysts: From Enzyme Immobilization to Biomimetic Catalysis

Enzymatic catalysis has fueled considerable interest from chemists due to its high efficiency and selectivity. However, the structural complexity and vulnerability hamper the application potentials of enzymes. Driven by the practical demand for chemical conversion, there is a long-sought quest for bioinspired catalysts reproducing and even surpassing the functions of natural enzymes. As nanoporous materials with high surface areas and crystallinity, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent an exquisite case of how natural enzymes and their active sites are integrated into porous solids, affording bioinspired heterogeneous catalysts with superior stability and customizable structures. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the advances of bioinspired MOFs for catalysis, discuss the design principle of various MOF-based catalysts, such as MOF-enzyme composites and MOFs embedded with active sites, and explore the utility of these catalysts in different reactions. The advantages of MOFs as enzyme mimetics are also highlighted, including confinement, templating effects, and functionality, in comparison with homogeneous supramolecular catalysts. A perspective is provided to discuss potential solutions addressing current challenges in MOF catalysis.

Implementation of a Core-Shell Design Approach for Constructing MOFs for CO2 Capture

Adsorption-based capture of CO₂ from flue gas and from air requires materials that have a high affinity for CO₂ and can resist water molecules that competitively bind to adsorption sites. Here, we present a core-shell metal-organic framework (MOF) design strategy where the core MOF is designed to selectively adsorb CO₂, and the shell MOF is designed to block H₂O diffusion into the core. To implement and test this strategy, we used the zirconium (Zr)-based UiO MOF platform because of its relative structural rigidity and chemical stability. Previously reported computational screening results were used to select optimal core and shell MOF compositions from a basis set of possible building blocks, and the target core-shell MOFs were prepared. Their compositions and structures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Multigas (CO₂, N₂, and H₂O) sorption data were collected both for the core-shell MOFs and for the core and shell MOFs individually. These data were compared to determine whether the core-shell MOF architecture improved the CO₂ capture performance under humid conditions. The combination of experimental and computational results demonstrated that adding a shell layer with high CO₂/H₂O diffusion selectivity can significantly reduce the effect of water on CO₂ uptake.

Synthesis and Peroxide Activation Mechanism of Bimetallic MOF for Water Contaminant Degradation: A Review

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials possess a large specific surface area, high porosity, and atomically dispersed metal active sites, which confer excellent catalytic performance as peroxide (peroxodisulfate (PDS), peroxomonosulfate (PMS), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)) activation catalysts. However, the limited electron transfer characteristics and chemical stability of traditional monometallic MOFs restrict their catalytic performance and large-scale application in advanced oxidation reactions. Furthermore, the single-metal active site and uniform charge density distribution of monometallic MOFs result in a fixed activation reaction path of peroxide in the Fenton-like reaction process. To address these limitations, bimetallic MOFs have been developed to improve catalytic activity, stability, and reaction controllability in peroxide activation reactions. Compared with monometallic MOFs, bimetallic MOFs enhance the active site of the material, promote internal electron transfer, and even alter the activation path through the synergistic effect of bimetals. In this review, we systematically summarize the preparation methods of bimetallic MOFs and the mechanism of activating different peroxide systems. Moreover, we discuss the reaction factors that affect the process of peroxide activation. This report aims to expand the understanding of bimetallic MOF synthesis and their catalytic mechanisms in advanced oxidation processes.

Post-Synthetic Surface Modification of Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Potential Applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous hybrid materials with countless potential applications. Most of these rely on their porous structure, tunable composition, and the possibility of incorporating and expanding their functions. Although functionalization of the inner surface of MOF crystals has received considerable attention in recent years, methods to functionalize selectively the outer crystal surface of MOFs are developed to a lesser extent, despite their importance. This article summarizes different types of post-synthetic modifications and possible applications of modified materials such as: catalysis, adsorption, drug delivery, mixed matrix membranes, and stabilization of porous liquids.

Effect of steric hindrance on the interfacial connection of MOF-on-MOF architectures

MOF-on-MOF is attracting great attention due to its improved and/or synergistic properties not exhibited in a single MOF. In particular, the non-isostructural pairs of MOF-on-MOFs can have great potential induced by large heterogeneity, which enables diverse applications in a wide range of fields. HKUST-1@IRMOF is a fascinating platform because the alteration of the IRMOF pores with bulkier substituent groups on the ligands can provide a more microporous environment. However, the sterically hindered linker can affect the seamless growth at the interface, an important issue in practical research fields. Despite many efforts to reveal the growth of a MOF-on-MOF, there is still a lack of studies on a MOF-on-MOF consisting of a sterically hindered interface. Indeed, the effect of a bulky linker at an interface of HKUST-1@IRMOF, a non-isostructural MOF-on-MOF system, has not yet been reported, and thus, how the interfacial strain affects the interfacial growth remains unknown. In this study, we investigate the effect of an interfacial strain on a chemical connection point in an MOF-on-MOF system through a series of theoretical and synthetic experiments using a HKUST-1@IRMOF system. Our results reveal the importance of the proximity of each coordinating site at a MOF-on-MOF interface as well as lattice parameter matching for an effective secondary growth to achieve a well-connected MOF-on-MOF.

Coordination Polymers from Biphenyl-Dicarboxylate Linkers: Synthesis, Structural Diversity, Interpenetration, and Catalytic Properties

The present work explores two biphenyl-dicarboxylate linkers, 3,3'-dihydroxy-(1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-dicarboxylic (H4L1) and 4,4'-dihydroxy-(1,1'-biphenyl)-3,3'-dicarboxylic (H4L2) acids, in hydrothermal generation of nine new compounds formulated as [Co2(μ2-H2L1)2(phen)2(H2O)4] (1), [Mn2(μ4-H2L1)2(phen)2]n·4nH2O (2), [Zn(μ2-H2L1)(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)]n (3), [Cd(μ2-H2L1) (2,2'-bipy)(H2O)]n (4), [Mn2(μ2-H2L1)(μ4-H2L1)(μ2-4,4'-bipy)2]n·4nH2O (5), [Zn(μ2-H2L1)(μ2-4,4'-bipy)]n (6), [Zn(μ2-H2L2)(phen)]n (7), [Cd(μ3-H2L2)(phen)]n (8), and [Cu(μ2-H2L2) (μ2-4,4'-bipy)(H2O)]n (9). These coordination polymers (CPs) were generated by reacting a metal(II) chloride, a H4L1 or H4L2 linker, and a crystallization mediator such as 2,2'-bipy (2,2'-bipyridine), 4,4'-bipy (4,4'-bipyridine), or phen (1,10-phenanthroline). The structural types of 1-9 range from molecular dimers (1) to one-dimensional (3, 4, 7) and two-dimensional (8, 9) CPs as well as three-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2, 5, 6). Their structural, topological, and interpenetration features were underlined, including an identification of unique two- and fivefold 3D + 3D interpenetrated nets in 5 and 6. Phase purity, thermal and luminescence behavior, as well as catalytic activity of the synthesized products were investigated. Particularly, a Zn(II)-based CP 3 acts as an effective and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for Henry reaction between a model substrate (4-nitrobenzaldehyde) and nitroethane to give β-nitro alcohol products. For this reaction, various parameters were optimized, followed by the investigation of the substrate scope. By reporting nine new compounds and their structural traits and functional properties, the present work further outspreads a family of CPs constructed from the biphenyl-dicarboxylate H4L1 and H4L2 linkers.

One-step fabrication of Cu-based metal organic framework multilayer core-shell microspheres for efficiently catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction

Micro/nanomaterials with multilayer core-shell structures are receiving widespread attention due to their potential in energy storage and conversion systems. However, simple fabrication of multilayered core-shell structured micro/nanomaterials with a consistent composition still faces a great challenge. Herein, a simple one-step solvothermal method is used to fabricate Cu-based metal organic framework multilayer core-shell microspheres (Cu-MOF-MCSMSs) as efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. The systematic structural evolution of Cu-MOF-MCSMSs is from microspheres to core-shell microspheres and then to multilayer core-shell microspheres. Additionally, different transition metal cations and anions can also influence the structures, compositions and thus ORR activities of the synthesized MOFs. The representative Cu-MOF-MCSMSs exhibit high ORR activity and cycling stability. The simple method can provide a good guide to fabricate other micro/nanomaterials with multilayer core-shell structures and desirable properties.

Construction and Sensing Amplification of Raspberry-Shaped MOF@MOF

MOFs@MOFs (metal-organic frameworks, MOFs) possess precise customized functionalities and predesigned structures that enable the implementation of structure and property regulation for specific functions in comparison to traditional single MOFs. However, the synthesis and fluorescence properties of multilayer MOFs@MOFs are still worth improving. Herein, a fluorescent raspberry-shaped MOF@MOF was constructed via optimized seed-mediated synthesis by tuning the reaction time, reaction mode, and reaction concentration, involving the initial synthesis of the UiO-66-NH₂ core and then the coating of the UiO-67-bpy shell. The raspberry-shaped UiO-66@67-bpy showed stable fluorescence and desirable sensing selectivity for the Hg²⁺ ion under the interference of other ions; meanwhile, the raspberry-shaped UiO-66@67-bpy indicated amplified sensing performance than pure UiO-66-NH₂, mechanically mixed UiO-66-NH₂ + UiO-67-bpy, and UiO-66@UiO-67 counterpart due to the accumulation effect of outer UiO-67-bpy toward Hg²⁺. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations including adsorption energy calculations and electronic density difference analysis further showed that the enhanced fluorescence quenching was possibly attributed to the outer UiO-67-bpy enrichment promoting the charge transfer between Hg²⁺ and the ligands of fluorescent UiO-66@67-bpy. The synergistic effect of MOFs@MOFs unlocks more possibilities for the construction of enhanced sensors and other applications.

Process of metal-organic framework (MOF)/covalent-organic framework (COF) hybrids-based derivatives and their applications on energy transfer and storage

The fossil-fuel shortage and severe environmental issues have posed ever-increasing demands on clean and renewable energy sources, for which the exploration of electrocatalysts has been a big challenge toward energy transfer and storage. Some indispensable features of electrocatalysts, such as large surface area, controlled structure, high porosity, and effective functionalization, have been proved to be critical for the improvement of electrocatalytic activities. Recently, the rapid expansion of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), and porous-organic polymers has provided extensive opportunities for the development of various electrocatalysts. Moreover, combining diverse descriptions of porous-organic frameworks (such as MOFs and COFs) can generate amazing and fantastic properties, affording the formed MOF/COF (including core-shell MOF@MOF and MOF@COF and layer-on-layer MOF-on-MOF or COF-on-MOF) heterostructures wide applications in diverse fields, especially in clean energy and energy transfer. To further boosts electronic conductivity, catalytic performances, and energy storage abilities, these MOF/COF hybrid materials have been widely utilized as versatile precursors for the manufacture of transition metal catalysts embedded within mesoporous carbon nitrides (M@CN_x) and porous carbon nitride frameworks (CN_x) via a facile pyrolysis process. Given that these M@CN_x and CN_x hybrids are composed of abundant catalytic centers, rich functionalities, and large specific surface areas, vast applications in energy transfer and energy storage fields can be realized. In this mini-review, we summarize the preparation strategies of MOF/COF-based hybrids, as well as their derivatives, nanostructure formation mechanism of M@CN_x and CN_x hybrids from MOF/COF-based hybrid materials, and their applications as catalysts for driving diverse reactions and electrode materials for energy storage. Further, current challenges and future prospects of applying these derivatives into energy conversion and storage devices are also discussed.

Anisotropic MOF-on-MOF Growth of Isostructural Multilayer Metal-Organic Framework Heterostructures

Isostructural MOFs with similar crystallographic parameter are easily available for MOF-on-MOF growth and possible to form core–shell structure by isotropic growth. However, due to well-matched cell lattice, selective growth in isostructural MOF heterostructures remains a great challenge for engineering atypical MOF heterostructures. Herein, an anisotropic MOF-on-MOF growth strategy was developed to structure a range of multilayer sandwich-like ZIF-L heterostructures via stacking isostructural ZIF-L-Zn and ZIF-L-Co alternately with three-, five-, seven-, and more layer structures. Moreover, these heterostructures with highly designable feature were fantastic precursors for fabricating derivatives with tunable magnetic and catalytic properties. Such strategy explores a novel way of achieving anisotropic MOF-on-MOF growth between isostructural MOFs and opens up new horizons for regulating the properties by MOF modular assembly in versatile functional nanocomposites.

Development of Au-Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC as a self-supported electrochemical sensor for in situ monitoring of cellular hydrogen peroxide

Integrating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) of different components or structures together and exploiting them as electrochemical sensors for electrochemical sensing has aroused great interest. Furthermore, the incorporation of noble metals with MOFs is conducive to the improvement of catalytic performance. In this work, Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L nanomaterials were successfully synthesised onto a self-supported flexible carbon cloth (Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC) through a novel strategy called MOF-on-MOF. Then, Au nanoparticles were electrodeposited onto Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC to obtain Au-Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC, which can serve as an excellent electrocatalyst for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The obtained flower-like Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC hybrid MOF changes the structure of the monomeric MOF alone and adds more attachment sites. The synergy of the bimetals greatly improved the catalytic performance of the as-developed sensor. Electrochemical experiment results show that the proposed sensor based on Au-Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC has an extended linear range from 1 μM to 19.6 mM with a sensitivity of 390 μA mM^-1 cm^-2, and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 21.2 nM (S/N = 3). Moreover, it has good anti-interference, reproducibility, repeatability and excellent stability. Furthermore, the real-time in situ detection of H₂O₂ secreted from human adenocarcinomic alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549 cells) was achieved by culturing cells on Au-Pd@UiO-66-on-ZIF-L/CC, which indicates the potential of the sensor for applications in cancer pathology. Both the synthesis strategy and the sensor design provide new methods and ideas for the production of ultrasensitive H₂O₂ electrochemical sensors.

Laterally Engineering Lanthanide-MOFs Epitaxial Heterostructures for Spatially Resolved Planar 2D Photonic Barcoding

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) heterostructures with domain-controlled emissive colors have shown great potential for achieving high-throughput sensing, anti-counterfeit and information security. Here, a strategy based on steric-hindrance effect is proposed to construct lateral lanthanide-MOFs (Ln-MOFs) epitaxial heterostructures, where the channel-directed guest molecules are introduced to rebalance in-plane and out-of-plane growth rates of the Ln-MOFs microrods and eventually generate lateral MOF epitaxial heterostructures with controllable aspect ratios. A library of lateral Ln-MOFs heterostructures are acquired through a stepwise epitaxial growth procedure, from which rational modulation of each domain with specific lanthanide doping species allows for definition of photonic barcodes in a two-dimensional (2D) domain with remarkably enlarged encoding capacity. The results provide molecular-level insight into the use of modulators in governing crystallite morphology for spatially assembling multifunctional heterostructures.

Rational Design and Growth of MOF-on-MOF Heterostructures

Multiporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a subclass of highly crystalline inorganic-organic materials, which are endowed with high surface areas, tunable pores, and fascinating nanostructures. Heterostructured MOF-on-MOF composites are recently becoming a research hotspot in the field of chemistry and materials science, which focus on the assembly of two or more different homogeneous or heterogeneous MOFs with various structures and morphologies. Compared with one single MOF, the dual MOF-on-MOF composites exhibit unprecedented tunability, hierarchical nanostructure, synergistic effect, and enhanced performance. Due to the difference of inorganic metals and organic ligands, the lattice parameters in a, b, and c directions in the single crystal cells could bring about subtle or large structural difference. It will result in the composite material with distinct growth methods to obtain secondary MOF grown from the initial MOF. In this review, the authors wish to mainly outline the latest synthetic strategies of heterostructured MOF-on-MOFs and their derivatives, including ordered epitaxial growth, random epitaxial growth, etc., which show the tutorial guidelines for the further development of various MOF-on-MOFs.

Interwrapping Distinct Metal-Organic Frameworks in Dual-MOFs for the Creation of Unique Composite Catalysts

Incorporating metal nanoparticles (MNPs) inside metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) demonstrates superior catalytic properties in numerous reactions; however, the size and distribution of MNPs could not be well controlled, resulting in low product selectivity in catalysis by undergoing different catalytic reaction pathways. We report herein a facile strategy for integrating lattice-mismatched MOFs together to fabricate homogeneously distributed “dual-MOFs,” which are the ideal precursors for the preparation of MNPs@MOFs with unique catalytic properties. As a proof of concept, we successfully synthesize a dual-MOF HKUST-1/ZIF-8 for in situ creation of redox-active Cu NPs inside hierarchical porous ZIF-8 under controlled pyrolytic conditions. Combining the advantages of size-tunable Cu NPs in the molecular sieving matrix of ZIF-8, Cu@ZIF-8 demonstrates high activity and selectivity for transformation of alkynes into alkenes without overhydrogenation, which surpasses most of the catalysts in the literature. Therefore, this work paves a new pathway for developing highly efficient and selective heterogeneous catalysts to produce highly value-added chemicals.

Metal-organic frameworks as catalytic selectivity regulators for organic transformations

Selective organic transformations using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-based heterogeneous catalysts have been an intriguing but challenging research topic in both the chemistry and materials communities. Analogous to the reaction specificity achieved in enzyme pockets, MOFs are also powerful platforms for regulating the catalytic selectivity via engineering their catalytic microenvironments, such as metal node alternation, ligand functionalization, pore decoration, topology variation and others. In this review, we provide a comprehensive introduction and discussion about the role of MOFs played in regulating and even boosting the size-, shape-, chemo-, regio- and more appealing stereo-selectivity in organic transformations. We hope that it will be instructive for researchers in this field to rationally design, conveniently prepare and elaborately functionalize MOFs or MOF-based composites for the synthesis of high value-added organic chemicals with significantly improved selectivity.

Metal–Organic Frameworks as Versatile Platforms for Organometallic Chemistry

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging porous materials with highly tunable structures developed in the 1990s, while organometallic chemistry is of fundamental importance for catalytic transformation in the academic and industrial world for many decades. Through the years, organometallic chemistry has been incorporated into functional MOF construction for diverse applications. Here, we will focus on how organometallic chemistry is applied in MOF design and modifications from linker-centric and metal-cluster-centric perspectives, respectively. Through structural design, MOFs can function as a tailorable platform for traditional organometallic transformations, including reaction of alkenes, cross-coupling reactions, and C–H activations. Besides, an overview will be made on other application categories of organometallic MOFs, such as gas adsorption, magnetism, quantum computing, and therapeutics.

Vapor-assisted self-conversion of basic carbonates in metal-organic frameworks

Incorporation of nanoparticles has been considered as an efficient method for enhancing the adsorption performance of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Alkali metal compounds possess outstanding affinity to acidic CO2. In this study, a robust self-conversion strategy is reported for improving the carbon capture performance of MOFs, through directly transforming partial metal centers to basic carbonate (BC) nanoparticles. Based on the hydrolysis of coordination bonds induced by water impurity in solvents and the decarboxylation of linkers under thermal and alkaline conditions, the self-loading of BC in MOFs can be realized by solvent vapor-assisted thermal treatment. Since water impurity causes limited self-conversion and excess organic solvent can purify MOFs, the BC-MOF materials maintain good crystallinity and even show superior porosity. Owing to the increased specific surface areas, open metal sites, and alkalinity of BC, the prepared MOF composites exhibit substantially improved CO2 capture performance with good balance between capacity and selectivity. For example, after self-conversion with ethanol solvent, the CO2 adsorption capacity and CO2/N2 (15 : 85) selectivity at 298 K and 100 kPa increase from 3.7 mmol g-1 and 11.4 to 5.8 mmol g-1 and 29.2, respectively.

Highly Selective Separation Intermediate-Size Anionic Pollutants from Smaller and Larger Analogs via Thermodynamically and Kinetically Cooperative-Controlled Crystallization

Selective separation of organic species, particularly that of intermediate-size ones from their analogs, remains challenging because of their similar structures and properties. Here, a novel strategy is presented, cooperatively (thermodynamically and kinetically) controlled crystallization for the highly selective separation of intermediate-size anionic pollutants from their analogs in water through one-pot construction of cationic metal-organic frameworks (CMOFs) with higher stabilities and faster crystallization, which are based on the target anions as charge-balancing anions. 4,4'-azo-triazole and Cu2+ are chosen as suitable ligand and metal ion for CMOF construction because they can form stronger intermolecular interaction with p-toluenesulfonate anion (Ts-) compared to its analogs. For this combination, a condition is established, under which the crystallization rate of a Ts--based CMOF is remarkably high while those of analog-based CMOFs are almost zero. As a result, the faster crystallization and higher stability cooperatively endow the cationic framework with a close-to-100% selectivity for Ts- over its analogs in two-component mixtures, and this preference is retained in a practical mixture containing more than seven competing (analogs and inorganic) anions. The nature of the free Ts- anion in the cationic framework also allows the resultant CMOF to be recyclable via anion exchange.

Single-step synthesis and interface tuning of core-shell metal-organic framework nanoparticles

Control over the spatial distribution of components in metal–organic frameworks has potential to unlock improved performance and new behaviour in separations, sensing and catalysis. We report an unprecedented single-step synthesis of multi-component metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles based on the canonical ZIF-8 (Zn) system and its Cd analogue, which form with a core–shell structure whose internal interface can be systematically tuned. We use scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and a new composition gradient model to fit high-resolution X-ray diffraction data to show how core–shell composition and interface characteristics are intricately controlled by synthesis temperature and reaction composition. Particle formation is investigated by in situ X-ray diffraction, which reveals that the spatial distribution of components evolves with time and is determined by the interplay of phase stability, crystallisation kinetics and diffusion. This work opens up new possibilities for the control and characterisation of functionality, component distribution and interfaces in MOF-based materials.

Core–shell metal–organic framework nanoparticles have been synthesised in which the internal interface and distribution of components is found to be highly tunable using simple variations in reaction conditions.

Synthesis of MOF-on-MOF architectures in the context of interfacial lattice matching

This highlight summarises the previously reported MOF-on-MOF systems, with a focus on the presented crystallographic information and classification of the systems according to lattice parameter matching.

Core-Shell MOFs@MOFs: Diverse Designability and Enhanced Selectivity

Metal-Organic frameworks (MOFs), especially MOF-based composites, performed an irreplaceable role in the material fields. By virtue of the tailorability of MOFs, core-shell MOFs@MOFs composites with diverse designability and enhanced selectivity have inspired infinite scientific interest. This review will highlight an up-to-date overview of the designability and enhanced selectivity of core-shell MOFs@MOFs composites, covering the synthetic strategies of an epitaxial growth method, postsynthetic modification, and one-pot synthesis as well as the synergistic selective performance of the synthesized MOFs@MOFs in catalysis, adsorption and separation, and molecular recognition. Finally, the potential development trend and challenges toward core-shell MOFs@MOFs are addressed.

Ternary MOF-on-MOF heterostructures with controllable architectural and compositional complexity via multiple selective assembly

Assembly of different metal-organic framework (MOF) building blocks into hybrid MOF-on-MOF heterostructures is promising in chemistry and materials science, however the development of ternary MOF-on-MOF heterostructures with controllable architectural and compositional complexity is challenging. Here we report the synthesis of three types of ternary MOF-on-MOF heterostructures via a multiple selective assembly strategy. This strategy relies on the choice of one host MOF with more than one facet that can arrange the growth of a guest MOF, where the arrangement is site-selective without homogenous growth of guest MOF or homogenous coating of guest on host MOF. The growth of guest MOF on a selected site of host MOF in each step provides the opportunity to further vary the combinations of arrangements in multiple steps, leading to ternary MOF-on-MOF heterostructures with tunable complexity. The developed strategy paves the way towards the rational design of intricate and unprecedented MOF-based superstructures for various applications.