A 3D supramolecular assembly of Co(II) MOF constructed with 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylate strut and its catalytic activity towards synthesis of tetrahydrobiphenylene-1,3-dicarbonitriles

Modulating anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties by designing a family of metal-complexes based on 5-nitropicolinic acid

A new family of six complexes based on 5-nitropicolinic acid (5-npic) and transition metals has been obtained: [M(5-npic)2]n (MII = Mn (1) and Cd (2)), [Cu(5-npic)2]n (3), and [M(5-npic)2(H2O)2] (MII = Co (4), Ni (5), and Zn (6)), which display 1D, 2D, and mononuclear structures, respectively, thanks to different coordination modes of 5-npic. After their physicochemical characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), elemental analyses (EA), and spectroscopic techniques, quantum chemical calculations using Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) were performed to further study the luminescence properties of compounds 2 and 6. The potential anticancer activity of all complexes was tested against three tumor cell lines, B16-F10, HT29, and HepG2, which are models widely used for studying melanoma, colon cancer, and liver cancer, respectively. The best results were found for compounds 2 and 4 against B16-F10 (IC50 = 26.94 and 45.10 μg mL-1, respectively). In addition, anti-inflammatory studies using RAW 264.7 cells exhibited promising activity for 2, 3, and 6 (IC50 NO = 5.38, 24.10, and 17.63 μg mL-1, respectively). This multidisciplinary study points to complex 2, based on CdII, as a promising anticancer and anti-inflammatory material.

Enhancing the electrocatalytic activities of metal organic frameworks for the oxygen evolution reaction with bimetallic groups

Controlling the ratio of metals in bimetallic organic frameworks (MOFs) can not only alter the structures but also tailor the properties of MOFs. Herein, we report a series of electrocatalytically active CoxNiy-based bimetallic MOFs that are synthesized with the 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (3,5-H2pdc) ligand (where x : y = 20 : 1, 15 : 1, 10 : 1, 5 : 1, 1 : 1, and 1 : 20) and a facile, scalable, low temperature synthetic route. The materials have one-dimensional (1D), rod-like microstructures with different aspect ratios. While they all electrocatalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solution (1 M KOH), their electrocatalytic performances vary substantially depending on their compositions. The CoxNiy-MOF with an optimal ratio of x : y = 15 : 1 (Co15Ni1-MOF) electrocatalyzes the OER with the highest maximum current density (92.2 mA cm-2 at 1.75 V vs. RHE) and the smallest overpotential (384 mV vs. RHE at 10 mA cm-2) in a 1 M KOH solution. It is also stable under constant current application during the electrocatalytic OER. This work demonstrates the application of bimetallic MOFs that are synthesized following a simple, low temperature synthetic route for the OER and their tailorable electrocatalytic properties for the OER by varying the ratio of two metals and the synthetic conditions used to produce them.