Direct Observation of Node-to-Node Communication in Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

Time-Resolved Spectroscopy for Dynamic Investigation of Photoresponsive Metal-Organic Frameworks

Photoresponsive MOFs with precise and adjustable reticular structures are attractive for light conversion applications. Uncovering the photoinduced carrier dynamics lays the essential foundation for the further development and optimization of the MOF material. With the application of time-resolved spectroscopy, photophysical processes including excimer formation, energy transfer/migration, and charge transfer/separation have been widely investigated. However, the identification of distinct photophysical processes in real experimental MOF spectra still remains difficult due to the spectral and dynamic complexity of MOFs. In this Perspective, we summarize the typical spectral features of these photophysical processes and the related analysis methods for dynamic studies performed by time-resolved photoluminescence (TR-PL) and transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. Based on the recent understanding of excited-state properties of photoresponsive MOFs and the discussion of challenges and future outlooks, this Perspective aims to provide convenience for MOF kinetic analysis and contribute to the further development of photoresponsive MOF material.

Porous crystalline materials for memories and neuromorphic computing systems

Porous crystalline materials usually include metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) and zeolites, which exhibit exceptional porosity and structural/composition designability, promoting the increasing attention in memory and neuromorphic computing systems in the last decade. From both the perspective of materials and devices, it is crucial to provide a comprehensive and timely summary of the applications of porous crystalline materials in memory and neuromorphic computing systems to guide future research endeavors. Moreover, the utilization of porous crystalline materials in electronics necessitates a shift from powder synthesis to high-quality film preparation to ensure high device performance. This review highlights the strategies for preparing porous crystalline materials films and discusses their advancements in memory and neuromorphic electronics. It also provides a detailed comparative analysis and presents the existing challenges and future research directions, which can attract the experts from various fields (e.g., materials scientists, chemists, and engineers) with the aim of promoting the applications of porous crystalline materials in memory and neuromorphic computing systems.

High resolution solid state NMR in paramagnetic metal-organic frameworks

We study the metal-organic framework (MOF) ZIF-67 with ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In addition to the usual orbital chemical shifts, we observe spinning sideband manifolds in the NMR spectrum due to hyperfine interactions of the paramagnetic cobalt with ¹H and ¹³C. Both orbital and paramagnetic chemical shifts are in good agreement with values calculated from first principles, allowing high-confidence assignment of the observed peaks to specific sites within the MOF. Our measured resonance shifts, line shapes, and spin lattice relaxation rates are also consistent with calculated values. We show that molecules in the pores of the MOF can exhibit high-resolution NMR spectra with fast spin lattice relaxation rates due to dipole-dipole couplings to the Co²⁺ nodes in the ZIF-67 lattice, showcasing NMR spectroscopy as a powerful tool for identification and characterization of "guests" that may be hosted by the MOF in electrochemical and catalytic applications.

Postsynthetic Treatment of ZIF-67 with 5-Methyltetrazole: Evolution from Pseudo-Td to Pseudo-Oh Symmetry and Collapse of Magnetic Ordering

Reaction of Co(II) nitrate with 2-methylimidazole (2mIm) yields ZIF-67, the structure of which features Co(II) ions in pseudo-tetrahedral coordination geometry. Strong antiferromagnetic interactions between Co(II) ions mediated by the 2mIm ligands lead to antiferromagnetic ordering at 22 K. Postsynthetic treatment of Co(II) ZIF-67 with 5-methyltetrazole (5mT) results in the loss of crystallinity and magnetic order. The local structure of the Co(II) ions was probed by a combination of diffuse-reflectance electronic absorption spectroscopy and Co K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (in the XANES and EXAFS regions). Upon reaction with 5mT, the ⁴A₂(F)-⁴T₁(F) and ⁴A₂(F)-⁴T₁(P) transitions at 1140 and 585 nm, respectively, of the pseudo-tetrahedral Co(II) center in ZIF-67 become less prominent and are replaced by transitions at 990 and 475 nm attributable to the ⁴T_1g(F)-⁴T_2g(F) and ⁴T_1g(F)-⁴T_1g(P) transitions of a pseudo-octahedral Co(II) center, respectively. Furthermore, the 1s-3d pre-edge absorption feature in the Co K-edge XANES spectrum loses intensity during this reaction, and the edge feature becomes more sharp, consistent with a change from pseudo-T_d to pseudo-O_h geometry. EXAFS analysis further supports the proposed change in geometry: EXAFS data for ZIF-67 are well fitted to four Co-N scatterers at 1.99 Å, whereas the data for the 5mT-substituted compound are best fitted with 6 Co-N scatterers at 2.14 Å. Our results support the conclusion that a six-coordinate, pseudo-O_h geometry is adopted upon ligand substitution. The increase in coordination number directly increases the Co-N bond distances, which in turn weakens magnetic exchange interactions. No magnetic ordering is found in the 5mT-substituted materials.

Synthesis, modifications and applications of MILs Metal-organic frameworks for environmental remediation: The cutting-edge review

Ever-increasing anthropogenic activities are radically deteriorating the environment by causing severe pollution. Thus, curtailing the environmental pollution and promotion of sustainable development, are the hot issues confronted by scientists in this modern era. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been highly recognized as emerging promising materials for environmental remediation due to their versatile structure and extraordinary properties. Among them, MILs (MIL = Matérial Institute of Lavoisier) are the series of MOFs mostly known for their incredible stability, unique tailorable pore structures, and astounding versatile environmental applications. Their exclusive physiochemical properties and multifunctionality make them proficient for a wide range of pollutants removal in the exposure of versatile harsh environments, compared to other MOFs. This piece of research summarizes the state-of-the-art of development of MILs on the broad spectrum, highlighting their specificities, such as synthesis techniques, modifications and applications for environmental remediation. However, MILs wonderful properties and extraordinary applications in multiple fields, their deployment on practical and commercial-scale pollutants remediation is hindered by insufficient scientific research on underlying mechanisms and relationships. Henceforth, this review not only signifies the emerging importance of MILs for environmental applications but also indicates the urgency to maximize the scientific research for exploitation of MOFs on a practical level and promotion of green technologies for environmental remediation.

Interrogating Light-initiated Dynamics in Metal-Organic Frameworks with Time-resolved Spectroscopy

Time-resolved spectroscopy is an essential part of both fundamental and applied chemical research. Such techniques access light-initiated dynamics on time scales ranging from femtosecond to microsecond. Many techniques falling under this description have been applied to gain significant insight into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a diverse class of porous coordination polymers. MOFs are highly tunable, both compositionally and structurally, and unique challenges are encountered in applying time-resolved spectroscopy to interrogate their light-initiated properties. These properties involve various excited state mechanisms such as crystallographically defined energy transfer, charge transfer, and localization within the framework, photoconductivity, and structural dynamics. The field of time-resolved MOF spectroscopic studies is quite nascent; each original report cited in this review was published within the past decade. As such, this review is a timely and comprehensive summary of the most significant contributions in this emerging field, with focuses on the overarching spectroscopic concepts applied and on identifying key challenges and future outlooks moving forward.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as intrinsic light harvesting and charge separation materials for photocatalysis

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are a subclass of metal organic frameworks that have attracted considerable attention in the past years and have found many applications including heterogeneous catalysis due to their highly ordered porous structure, large surface area, and structural flexibility. However, ZIFs are largely utilized as simple hosts or passive media for dispersing other catalytically active species, resembling the roles of zeolites in catalysis. In contrast, our recent findings show that ZIFs not only have broad absorption across the UV-visible and near IR spectral region but also have an exceptionally long-lived excited charge separated state, suggesting that ZIFs may be used as intrinsic light harvesting and photocatalytic materials rather than as inert hosts. This Perspective will focus on the recent progress on the fundamental studies of the intrinsic light absorption, charge separation, and photocatalytic properties of ZIFs and will discuss the outlook for future development.

Beyond structural motifs: the frontier of actinide-containing metal-organic frameworks

In this perspective, we feature recent advances in the field of actinide-containing metal-organic frameworks (An-MOFs) with a main focus on their electronic, catalytic, photophysical, and sorption properties. This discussion deviates from a strictly crystallographic analysis of An-MOFs, reported in several reviews, or synthesis of novel structural motifs, and instead delves into the remarkable potential of An-MOFs for evolving the nuclear waste administration sector. Currently, the An-MOF field is dominated by thorium- and uranium-containing structures, with only a few reports on transuranic frameworks. However, some of the reported properties in the field of An-MOFs foreshadow potential implementation of these materials and are the main focus of this report. Thus, this perspective intends to provide a glimpse into the challenges, triumphs, and future directions of An-MOFs in sectors ranging from the traditional realm of gas sorption and separation to recently emerging areas such as electronics and photophysics.

Direct Evidence of Photoinduced Charge Transport Mechanism in 2D Conductive Metal Organic Frameworks

Conductive metal organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a promising class of porous crystalline materials that have demonstrated potential in photo-electronics and photocatalytic applications. However, the lack of fundamental understanding on charge transport (CT) mechanism as well as the correlation of CT mechanism with their structure hampered their further development. Herein, we report the direct evidence of CT mechanism in 2D Cu-THQ MOFs and the correlation of temporal and spatial behaviors of charge carriers with their photoconductivity by combining three advanced spectroscopic methods, including time resolved optical and X-ray absorption spectroscopy and terahertz spectroscopy. In addition to Cu-THQ, the CT in Cu/Zn-THQ after incorporating Zn²⁺ guest metal was also examined to uncover the contribution of through space pathway, as the presence of the redox inactive 3d¹⁰ Zn²⁺ is expected to perturb the long range in-plane CT. We show that the hot carriers in Cu-THQ generated after photoexcitation are highly mobile and undergo fast localization to a lower energy state (cool carriers) with electrons occupying Cu center and holes in ligands. The cool carriers, which have super long lifetime (>17 ns), are responsible for the long-term photoconductivity in Cu-THQ and transport through the O-Cu-O motif with negligible contribution from interlayer ligand π-π stacking, as incorporation of Zn²⁺ in Cu-THQ significantly reduced photoconductivity. These unprecedented results not only demonstrate the capability to experimentally probe CT mechanism but also provide important insight in the rational design of 2D MOFs for photoelectronic and photocatalytic applications.

Distance dependent energy transfer dynamics from a molecular donor to a zeolitic imidazolate framework acceptor

Zeolitic Imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have been demonstrated as promising light harvesting and photocatalytic materials for solar energy conversion. To facilitate their application in photocatalysis, it is essential to develop a fundamental understanding of their light absorption properties and energy transfer dynamics. In this work, we report distance-dependent energy transfer dynamics from a molecular photosensitizer (RuN3) to ZIF-67, where the distance between RuN3 and ZIF-67 is finely tuned by depositing an ultrathin Al2O3 layer on the ZIF-67 surface using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. We show that energy transfer time decreases with increasing distance between RuN3 and ZIF-67 and the Förster radius is estimated to be 14.4 nm.

Enhanced light harvesting ability in zeolitic imidazolate frameworks through energy transfer from CdS nanowires

We report the enhanced light harvesting ability of ZIF-67 through efficient energy transfer from CdS nanowires to ZIF-67.

From IR to x-rays: gaining molecular level insights on metal-organic frameworks through spectroscopy

This topical review focuses on the application of several types of spectroscopy methods to a class of solid state materials called metal organic frameworks (MOFs). MOFs are self-assembled, porous crystalline materials composed of metal cluster nodes linked through coordination bonds with organic or organometallic molecular constituents. Their unique host-guest properties make them attractive for many adsorption-based applications such as gas storage and separation, catalysis, sensing and others. While much research focuses on the development and application of these materials, fundamental studies of MOF properties and molecular level host-guest interactions behind their functionality have become a significant research direction on its own. Spectroscopy methods are now ubiquitous tools in this pursuit. This review focuses on the application of three classes of spectroscopy methods to MOF materials: vibrational, optical electronic and x-ray spectroscopies. Following brief introductions to each method that include pertinent theory and experimental considerations, we present a broad overview of the types of MOF systems that have been studied, with specific examples and important new molecular level insights highlighted along the way. The current status of spectroscopic studies of MOFs is presented at the end along with some perspectives on the future directions in this area of research.

X-ray snapshots reveal conformational influence on active site ligation during metalloprotein folding

Cytochrome c (cyt c) has long been utilized as a model system to study metalloprotein folding dynamics and the interplay between active site ligation and tertiary structure. However, recent reports regarding the weakness of the native Fe(ii)-S bond (Fe-Met80) call into question the role of the active site ligation in the protein folding process. In order to investigate the interplay between protein conformation and active site structures, we directly tracked the evolution of both during a photolysis-induced folding reaction using X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy and time-resolved X-ray solution scattering techniques. We observe an intermediate Fe-Met80 species appearing on ∼2 μs timescale, which should not be sustained without stabilization from the folded protein structure. We also observe the appearance of a new active site intermediate: a weakly interacting Fe-H2O state. As both intermediates require stabilization of weak metal-ligand interactions, we surmise the existence of a local structure within the unfolded protein that protects and limits the movement of the ligands, similar to the entatic state found in the native cyt c fold. Furthermore, we observe that in some of the unfolded ensemble, the local stabilizing structure is lost, leading to expansion of the unfolded protein structure and misligation to His26/His33 residues.