Fast Water Transport in UTSA-280 via a Knock-Off Mechanism

Water and other small molecules frequently coordinate within metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These coordinated molecules may actively engage in mass transfer, moving together with the transport molecules, but this phenomenon has yet to be examined. In this study, we explore a unique water transfer mechanism in UTSA-280, where an incoming water molecule can displace a coordinated molecule for mass transfer. We refer to this process as the "knock-off" mechanism. Despite UTSA-280 possessing one-dimensional channels, the knock-off transport enables water movement along the other two axes, effectively simulating a pseudo-three-dimensional mass transfer. Even with a relatively narrow pore width, the knock-off mechanism enables a high water flux in the UTSA-280 membrane. The knock-off mechanism also renders UTSA-280 superior water/ethanol diffusion selectivity for pervaporation. To validate this unique mechanism, we conducted 1 H and 2 H solid-state NMR on UTSA-280 after the adsorption of deuterated water. We also derived potential energy diagrams from the density functional theory to gain atomic-level insight into the knock-off and the direct-hopping mechanisms. The simulation findings reveal that the energy barrier of the knock-off mechanism is marginally lower than the direct-hopping pathway, implying its potential role in enhancing water diffusion in UTSA-280.

Synthesis, structure and properties of coordination polymers formed from bridging 4-hydroxybenzoic acid anions

The combination of 4-hydroxbenzoic acid with metal ions Li+, Mg2+ and Cu2+ leads to the formation of novel 2D and 3D networks.

The crystal structure of dimethylammonium catena-[di(μ-aqua)-bis(μ9-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato)pentalithium], C20H16Li5NO13

C20H16Li5NO13, orthorhombic, Pnma (no. 62), a = 9.9218(8) Å, b = 14.6941(11) Å, c = 13.5697(10) Å, V = 1978.4(3) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0439, wR ref(F 2) = 0.0960, T = 173(2) K.

Water Adsorption in Soft and Heterogeneous Nanopores

ConspectusLiquids under confinement differ in behavior from their bulk counterparts and can acquire properties that are specific to the confined phase and linked to the nature and structure of the host matrix. While confined liquid water is not a new topic of research, the past few years have seen a series of intriguing novel features for water inside nanoscale pores. These unusual properties arise from the very specific nature of nanoporous materials, termed "soft porous crystals"; they combine large-scale flexibility with a heterogeneous internal surface. This creates a rich diversity of behavior for the adsorbed water, and the combination of different experimental characterization techniques along with computational chemistry at various scales is necessary to understand the phenomena observed and their microscopic origins. The range of systems of interest span the whole chemical range, from the inorganic (zeolites, imogolites) to the organic (microporous carbons, graphene, and its derivatives), and even encompass the hybrid organic-inorganic systems (such as metal-organic frameworks).The combination of large scale flexibility with the strong physisorption (or even chemisorption) of water can lead to unusual properties (belonging to the "metamaterials" category) and to novel phenomena. One striking example is the recent elucidation of the mechanism of negative hydration expansion in ZrW₂O₈, by which adsorption of ∼10 wt % water in the inorganic nonporous framework leads to large shrinkage of its volume. Another eye-catching case is the occurrence of multiple water adsorption-driven structural transitions in the MIL-53 family of materials: the specific interactions between water guest molecules and the host framework create behavior that has not been observed with any other adsorbate. Both are counterintuitive phenomena that have been elucidated by a combination of experimental in situ techniques and molecular simulation.Another important direction of research is the shift in the systems and phenomena studied, from physical adsorption toward studies of reactivity, hydrothermal stability, and the effect of confinement on aqueous phases more complex than pure water. There have been examples of water adsorption in highly flexible metal-organic frameworks being able to compete with the materials' coordination bonds, thereby limiting its hydrothermal stability, while tweaking the functional groups of the same framework can lead to increased stability while retaining the flexibility of the material. However, this additional complexity and tunability in the macroscopic behavior can occur from changes in the confined fluid rather than the material. Very recent studies have shown that aqueous solutions of high concentration (such as LiCl up to 20 mol L^-1) confined in flexible nanoporous materials can have specific properties different from pure water and not entirely explained by osmotic effects. There, the strong ordering of the confined electrolyte competes with the structural flexibility of the framework to create an entirely new behavior for the {host, guest} system.

Novel and Versatile Cobalt Azobenzene-Based Metal-Organic Framework as Hydrogen Adsorbent

A novel URJC-3 material based on cobalt and 5,5'-(diazene-1,2-diyl)diisophthalate ligand, containing Lewis acid and basic sites, has been synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Compound URJC-3, with polyhedral morphology, crystallizes in the tetragonal and P4₃ 2₁ 2 space group, exhibiting a three-dimensional structure with small channels along a and b axes. This material was fully characterized, and its hydrogen adsorption properties were estimated for a wide range of temperatures (77-298 K) and pressures (1-170 bar). The hydrogen storage capacity of URJC-3 is quite high in relation to its moderate surface area, which is probably due to the confinement effect of hydrogen molecules inside its reduced pores of 6 Å, which is close the ionic radii of hydrogen molecules. The storage capacity of this material is not only higher than that of active carbon and purified single-walled carbon nanotubes, but also surpasses the gravimetric hydrogen uptake of most MOF materials.

Structural diversity, luminescence and photocatalytic properties of six coordination polymers based on designed bifunctional 2-(imidazol-1-yl)terephthalic acid

Six CPs, based on 2-(imidazol-1-yl)terephthalic acid, have been prepared and characterized.

Hydrothermal syntheses, structural characterizations, and magnetic properties of five MOFs assembled from C2-symmetric ligand of 1,3-di(2′,4′-dicarboxylphenyl)benzene with various coordination modes

Five new complexes with appealing structural features from 0D paddle wheel {Cu₂(COO)₄} SBUs to 3D frameworks were reported to better understand the synthon selectivity in multifunctional crystal structures.

Structural diversities and related properties of four coordination polymers synthesized from original ligand of 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid

Four CPs, derived from the original 3,3′,5,5′-azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid ligand were obtained under solvothermal conditions.

Coligand syntheses, crystal structures, luminescence and photocatalytic properties of five coordination polymers based on rigid tetracarboxylic acids and imidazole linkers

Coligand syntheses, crystal structures, luminescence and photocatalytic properties of five coordination polymers based on rigid tetracarboxylic acids and imidazole linkers.

Structural diversity of five coordination polymers based on 2,6-bis(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)pyridine ligand: solvothermal syntheses, structural characterizations, and magnetic properties

Five CPs, featuring diverse structures, have been assembled from the mixed ligands of H₄BDP and bib under different reaction conditions.

Enhancement of adsorption selectivity for MOFs under mild activation and regeneration conditions

A new concept has been formulated to utilize given coordinated molecules in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to separate homologues with different coordination abilities towards metal centres under soft activation and regeneration conditions.