Diversifying Databases of Metal Organic Frameworks for High-Throughput Computational Screening

By combining metal nodes and organic linkers, an infinite number of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) can be designed in silico. Therefore, when making new databases of such hypothetical MOFs, we need to ensure that they not only contribute toward the growth of the count of structures but also add different chemistries to the existing databases. In this study, we designed a database of ∼20,000 hypothetical MOFs, which are diverse in terms of their chemical design space─metal nodes, organic linkers, functional groups, and pore geometries. Using machine learning techniques, we visualized and quantified the diversity of these structures. We find that on adding the structures of our database, the overall diversity metrics of hypothetical databases improve, especially in terms of the chemistry of metal nodes. We then assessed the usefulness of diverse structures by evaluating their performance, using grand-canonical Monte Carlo simulations, in two important environmental applications─post-combustion carbon capture and hydrogen storage. We find that many of these structures perform better than widely used benchmark materials such as Zeolite-13X (for post-combustion carbon capture) and MOF-5 (for hydrogen storage). All the structures developed in this study, and their properties, are provided on the Materials Cloud to encourage further use of these materials for other applications.

Three Cd(ii) coordination polymers constructed from a series of multidentate ligands derived from cyclotriphosphazene: synthesis, structures and luminescence properties

By utilizing three ligands derived from cyclotriphosphazene, three novel cadmium-based coordination polymers have been successfully synthesized and structurally characterized, which exhibit the corresponding photo-chemical properties.

A series of six-membered lanthanide rings based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-2,2′,2″-nitrilotriethanol: synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic properties

A series of six-membered ring cyclic lanthanide(iii) clusters have been constructed by utilizing the pentol ligand.

A series of transition metal coordination polymers based on a rigid bi-functional carboxylate–triazolate tecton

By utilizing a pre-designed bi-functional ligand, five new transition-metal-based coordination polymers have been constructed and structurally characterized, along with their luminescence or magnetic properties.

Pentiptycene-Based Luminescent Cu (II) MOF Exhibiting Selective Gas Adsorption and Unprecedentedly High-Sensitivity Detection of Nitroaromatic Compounds (NACs)

The assembly of a fluorescent pentiptycene-based ligand with copper ion resulted in the formation of a 3D porous metal-organic framework (UPC-21) based on well-known paddlewheel SBUs. UPC-21 exhibits selective adsorption of CO2 over CH4 and N2 at 273 K and 295 K, C2H2 over CH4 at 273 K. The most significant performance of UPC-21 is its highly efficient detection of NACs such as 4-NP, 1,4-DNB, NB, and 1,3-DNB with the calculated quenching constants, Ksv, being 3.097 × 10(6), 1.406 × 10(6), 4.420 × 10(5), and 1.498 × 10(5 )M(-1) for 4-NP, 1,4-DNB, NB, 1,3-DNB, respectively, which keeps a record on the fluorescence detection of NACs. This is the first porous Cu(II) MOF that exhibits fluorescent detection of NACs with high sensitivities.

Multifunctional lanthanide–organic frameworks for fluorescent sensing, gas separation and catalysis

Two lanthanide MOFs have been synthesized based on a novel anthracene-functionality semi-rigid ligand, which show good selective fluorescent sensing capabilities for 4-nitrophenol and Al³⁺.

Crystal structures, topological analysis and luminescence properties of three coordination polymers based on a semi-rigid ligand and N-donor ligand linkers

Three new mixed-ligand coordination polymers have been synthesized based on 3,3′-(anthracene-9,10-diyl)diacrylate acid and different N-donor ligands. Complex 2 displays rapid and selective sensing of Fe³⁺.

Roles of temperature, solvent, M/L ratios and anion in preparing complexes containing a Himta ligand

Nine new complexes based on the Himta ligand were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. A systematic and comprehensive investigation of four influence factors on some complex architectures was carried out.

The ionothermal synthesis, structure, and magnetism-structure relationship of two biphenyl tetracarboxylic acid-based metal-organic frameworks

Two new metal-organic frameworks (1-2) were ionothermally obtained by the reaction of a biphenyltetracarboxylic sodium (Na4BPTC) ligand and M(OOCCH3)2 (M = Co(1) and Mn(2)). Crystal structure analysis reveals that 1 is a Co3Na6 unit-based three dimensional heterometallic MOF, while 2 exhibits a {Mn(COO)n} chain-based three-dimensional framework. Furthermore, the magnetic measurement shows that both of them have anti-ferromagnetic properties. A combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) simulation uncovers that in 2 the coupling parameters between two adjacent Mn(II) ions are J1 = -2.0 cm(-1) and J2 = -1.6 cm(-1), and the magnetism mainly originates from the propagation of Mn(II) ions by the super-exchange of carboxylates. Interestingly, the superexchange modes of J1 and J2 are different. Two spin nets of -/+/- dominate in the coupling for J1, while for J2 there are two spin nets of -/+/- and one spin net of +/-/+.

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.

Structures and properties of coordination polymers involving asymmetric biphenyl-3,2′,5′-tricarboxylate

The conformation stability and coordination modes of an asymmetric polycarboxylate ligand (H₃bptc) and the properties of its compounds have been investigated.