Irreversible solvent-assisted structural transformation in 3D metal-organic frameworks: Structural modification and enhanced iodine-adsorption properties

Amide-Driven Secondary Building Unit Structural Transformations between Zn(II) Coordination Polymers

The behavior of coordination polymers (CPs) against external stimuli has witnessed remarkable attention, especially when the resulting CPs present reversible molecular arrays. Accordingly, CPs with these characteristics can lead to differences in their properties owing to these structural differences, being promising for their use as potential molecular switches with diverse applications. Herein, we have synthesized four Zn(II) CPs bearing α-acetamidocinnamic acid (HACA) and 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bipy). The reaction between Zn(OAc)₂·2H₂O, HACA, and 4,4'-bipy yields {[Zn(ACA)₂(4,4'-bipy)]·EtOH} _n (1), which was used for the formation of three CPs through dissolution-recrystallization structural transformations (DRSTs): {[Zn(ACA)₂(4,4'-bipy)]·2MeOH} _n (2), {[Zn₂(μ-ACA)₂(ACA)₂(4,4'-bipy)]·2H₂O} _n (3), and {[Zn₃(μ-ACA)₆(4,4'-bipy)]·0.75CHCl₃} _n (4). The study of the four crystal structures revealed that their secondary building units (SBUs) comprise monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric arrangements linked by 4,4'-bipy ligands. The fundamental role of the utilized solvent and/or temperature, as well as their effect on the orientation of the amide moieties driving the formation of the different SBUs is discussed. Furthermore, the reversibility and interconversion between the four CPs have been assayed. Finally, their solid-state photoluminescence has evinced that the effect of the amide moieties not only predetermine a different SBU but also lead to a different emission in 4 compared with 1-3.

Adsorption of iodine in metal-organic framework materials

Nuclear power will continue to provide energy for the foreseeable future, but it can pose significant challenges in terms of the disposal of waste and potential release of untreated radioactive substances. Iodine is a volatile product from uranium fission and is particularly problematic due to its solubility. Different isotopes of iodine present different issues for people and the environment. 129I has an extremely long half-life of 1.57 × 107 years and poses a long-term environmental risk due to bioaccumulation. In contrast, 131I has a shorter half-life of 8.02 days and poses a significant risk to human health. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop secure, efficient and economic stores to capture and sequester ionic and neutral iodine residues. Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are a new generation of solid sorbents that have wide potential applicability for gas adsorption and substrate binding, and recently there is emerging research on their use for the selective adsorptive removal of iodine. Herein, we review the state-of-the-art performance of MOFs for iodine adsorption and their host-guest chemistry. Various aspects are discussed, including establishing structure-property relationships between the functionality of the MOF host and iodine binding. The techniques and methodologies used for the characterisation of iodine adsorption and of iodine-loaded MOFs are also discussed together with strategies for designing new MOFs that show improved performance for iodine adsorption.

An ultra-sensitive selective fluorescent sensor based on a 3D zinc-tetracarboxylic framework for the detection and enrichment of trace Cu2+ in aqueous media

Herein, a novel and fluorescent zinc-organic framework sensor [Zn₃(μ₃-Hbptc)₂(μ₂-4,4'-bpy)₂(H₂O)₄]_n·2nH₂O (1) (H₄bptc = 2,3,3',4'-biphenyl tetracarboxylic acid, 4,4'-bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine) is synthesized and characterized, demonstrating its excellent fluorescence performance for Cu²⁺ detection and the enrichment of Cu²⁺ in aqueous media. The fluorescence intensity of 1 can be selectively quenched by Cu²⁺ in a linear range of Cu²⁺ concentrations of 0-0.7 μM. The limit of detection (LOD) value is as low as 32.4 nM, which is superior to those of most of the fluorescent sensors based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). It is also far below the maximum allowable concentration of Cu²⁺ in drinking water as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), so it is employed for the detection of Cu²⁺ in actual water samples. More importantly, the nature of the interaction between the active coordination site (COO^-) of 1 and Cu²⁺ determines the quenching mechanism, that is Cu²⁺ in the analyte is captured by MOF 1, which has been investigated by ICP, luminescence, UV-vis, XPS, and lifetime studies. Besides, the chemosensor shows regeneration performance without the loss of performance in five consecutive cycles. So MOF 1 is a simple and convenient probe used not only for the rapid detection but also for the enrichment of trace amounts of Cu²⁺ in aqueous media, and the application can be further extended to a variety of environmental and biological analysis processes.

The effect of coordinated solvent molecules on metal coordination environments in single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations

We summarized the effect of coordinated solvent molecules on the metal coordination environments in single-crystal to single-crystal transformations.

Cadmium(II) three-dimensional coordination polymers constructed from 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenoxy)benzene: synthesis, crystal structure, fluorescence and I2 sorption characterization

Two three-dimensional (3D) CdII coordination polymers, namely poly[[di-μ-aqua-diaquabis{μ5-4,4′,4′′-[benzene-1,3,5-triyltris(oxy)]tribenzoato}tricadmium(II)] dihydrate], {[Cd3(C27H15O9)2(H2O)4]·2H2O} n , (I), and poly[[aqua{μ6-4,4′,4′′-[benzene-1,3,5-triyltris(oxy)]tribenzoato}(μ-formato)[μ-1,1′-(1,4-phenylene)bis(1H-imidazole)]dicadmium(II)] dihydrate], {[Cd2(C27H15O9)(C12H10N4)(HCOO)(H2O)]·2H2O} n , (II), have been hydrothermally synthesized from the reaction system containing Cd(NO3)2·4H2O and the flexible tripodal ligand 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenoxy)benzene (H3tcpb) via tuning of the auxiliary ligand. Both complexes have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, elemental analysis, IR spectra, powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Complex (I) is a 3D framework constructed from trinuclear structural units and tcpb3− ligands in a μ5-coordination mode. The central CdII atom of the trinuclear unit is located on a crystallographic inversion centre and adopts an octahedral geometry. The metal atoms are bridged by four syn–syn carboxylate groups and two μ2-water molecules to form trinuclear [Cd3(COO)4(μ2-H2O)2] secondary building units (SBUs). These SBUs are incorporated into clusters by bridging carboxylate groups to produce pillars along the c axis. The one-dimensional inorganic pillars are connected by tcpb3− linkers in a μ5-coordination mode, thus forming a 3D network; its topology corresponds to the point symbol (42.62.82)(44.62)2(45.66.84)2. In contrast to (I), complex (II) is characterized by a 3D framework based on dinuclear cadmium SBUs, i.e. [Cd2(COO)3]. The two symmetry-independent CdII ions display different coordinated geometries, namely octahedral [CdN2O4] and monocapped octahedral [CdO7]. The dinuclear SBUs are incorporated into clusters by bridging formate groups to produce pillars along the c axis. These pillars are further bridged either by tcpb3− ligands into sheets or by 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl)benzene ligands into undulating layers, and finally these two-dimensional surfaces interweave, forming a 3D structure with the point symbol (4.62)(47.614). Compound (II) exhibits reversible I2 uptake of 56.8 mg g−1 with apparent changes in the visible colour and the UV–Vis and fluorescence spectra, and therefore may be regarded as a potential reagent for the capture and release of I2.

6,6′-(Perfluoropropane-2,2-diyl)bis(2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione)-based coordination polymers and their sensing properties towards Cr2O72−

The structures of six new diacylhydrazidate-based coordination polymers were reported. Based on their better photoluminescence properties, their sensing abilities towards Cr2O₇²⁻ were investigated.