Sunlight assisted SCSC dimerization of a 1D coordination polymer impacts the selectivity of Pd(II) sensing in water

Highly Efficient Detection of Pd2+ in Aqueous Medium by an Elusive Mn(II) Coordination Polymer

Herein, we report the synthesis of a Mn(II)-based coordination polymer (CP); and its structure, phase consistency and thermal stability have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively. This is the first example of paramgnetic Mn(II)-based CP that acts as pH-dependent emitting material [λem=525 nm (pH=2.0-4.0) and 450 nm (pH=5.0-12.0)]. Its emission is quenched by Pd2+ in aqueous medium in presence of other thirteen cations with reasonably low pH-dependent limits of detection (LODs) [21.178 ppb (pH=3), 15.005 ppb (pH=7.0) and 59.940 ppb (pH=10.0)] as described by well-established mechanism. Therefore, urgency of such stable sensor remains high in regard to the environmental pollution.

Photoresponsive metal-organic framework materials for advance applications

The interaction between light and materials produces a range of phenomena within molecular systems, leading to advanced applications in the field of materials science. In this regard, metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have become superior candidates to others because of their easy tailor-made synthetic methods via incorporation of photoactive moieties into their structural assembly. Photoresponsive MOFs exhibit a massive variety of exciting properties, including photochromism, photomagnetism, photoluminescence, photon up or down conversion, photoconductivity, nonlinear optical properties, photosalient effects and photoinduced switching of conformations. These photoresponsive properties of MOFs regulate different potential applications, such as on-demand gas sorption and separation, optical sensing, fabrication of photoactuators and photosensing electronic devices, dye degradation, catalysis, cargo delivery, ink-free erasable printing, bio-imaging and drug delivery in biological systems. Therefore, judicious crystal engineering along with an understanding of their structure-property relationship will lead to the fabrication of desired photosensitive MOFs. Herein, we attempted to incorporate categorical descriptions based on advanced applications of photoresponsive MOFs considering a wide range of recent publications.

Photomechanical properties in metal-organic crystals

The emergence of materials that can effectively convert photon energy (light) into motion (mechanical work) and change their shapes on command is of great interest for their potential in the fabrication of devices (powered by light) that will revolutionize the technologies of optical actuators, smart medical devices, soft robotics, artificial muscles and flexible electronics. Recently, metal-organic crystals have emerged as desirable smart hybrid materials that can hop, split and jump. Thus, their incorporation into polymer host objects can control movement from molecules to millimetres, opening up a new world of light-switching smart materials. This feature article briefly summarizes the recent part of the fast-growing literature on photomechanical properties in metal-organic crystals, such as coordination compounds, coordination polymers (CPs), and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The article highlights the contributions of our group along with others in this area and aims to provide a consolidated idea of the engineering strategies and structure-property relationships of these hybrid materials for such rare phenomena with diverse potential applications.

Construction of olefinic coordination polymer single crystal platforms: precise organic synthesis, in situ exploration of reaction mechanisms and beyond

Olefin [2+2] photocycloaddition reactions based on coordination-bond templates provide numerous advantages for the selective synthesis of cyclobutane compounds. This review outlines the recent advances in the design and construction of single crystal platforms of olefinic coordination polymers for precise organic synthesis, in situ exploration of reaction mechanisms, and possible developments as comprehensively as possible. Numerous examples are presented to illustrate how the arrangements of the olefin pairs influence the solid-state photoreactivity and examine the types of cyclobutane products. Furthermore, the photocycloaddition reaction mechanisms are investigated by combining advanced techniques such as single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy and theoretical calculations. Finally, potential applications resulting from promising physicochemical properties before and after photoreactions are discussed, and existing challenges and possible solutions are also proposed.

Aminoisophthalate Bridged Cd(II)-2D Coordination Polymer: Structure Description, Selective Detection of Pd2+ in Aqueous Medium, and Fabrication of Schottky Diode

Photoluminescence activity of coordination polymers (CPs) has evoked intricate applications in the field of materials science, especially sensing of ions/molecules. In the present study, 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (tppz) and 5-aminoisophthalate (HAIPA^-) coordinated to Cd(II) to architect a coordination polymer, {[Cd(HAIPA)(tppz)(OH)]·3H₂O}_n (CP1) which unveils blue emission in an aqueous acetonitrile (98% aqueous) suspension. The emission is selectively quenched by Pd²⁺ only without interference in the presence of as many as 16 other cations. The structure of CP1 shows the presence of a free -COOH group, and the interlayer (-CO)O(2)···O(7) (OC-) distance, 4.242 Å, along with the π···π interactions (3.990, 3.927 Å), may make a cavity which suitably accommodates only Pd²⁺ (van der Waal's radius, 1.7 Å) through the Pd(II)-carboxylato (-COO-Pd) coordination. The stability of the composite, [CP1 + Pd²⁺] may be assessed from the fluorescence quenching experiment, and the Stern-Volmer constant (K_SV) is 7.2 × 10⁴ M^-1. Therefore, the compound, CP1, is a promising sensor for Pd(II) in a selective manner with limit of detection (LOD), 0.08 μM. The XPS spectra of CP1 and [CP1 + Pd²⁺] have proven the presence of Pd²⁺ in the host and the existence of a coordinated -COO-Pd bond. Interestingly, inclusion of Pd²⁺ in CP1 decreases the band gap from 3.61 eV (CP1) to 3.05 eV ([CP1 + Pd²⁺]) which lies in the semiconducting region and has exhibited improved electrical conductivity from 7.42 × 10^-5 (CP1) to 1.20 × 10^-4 S m^-1 ([CP1 + Pd²⁺]). Upon light irradiation, the electrical conductivities are enhanced to 1.45 × 10^-4 S m^-1 (CP1) and 3.81 × 10^-4 S m^-1 ([CP1 + Pd²⁺]); which validates the highly desired photoresponsive device applications. Therefore, such type of materials may serve as SDG-army (sustainable development goal) to battle against the environmental issues and energy crisis.

A Dual Functional 2D MOF Exhibiting Rare Photosalient Effect as well as Selective Pd(II) Sensing in Aqueous Medium

A Zn(II) based two-dimensional metal-organic framework (2D MOF) [Zn₂(suc)₂(4-nvp)₂] (1) [H₂suc = succinic acid and 4-nvp = 4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine] exhibits a "photosalient effect" under UV light as well as sunlight along with the release of a stereoselective cyclobutane ligand, 1,3-bis(4'-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(naphthyl)cyclobutane (rctt-4-pncb). Photolysis of in situ generated MOF in solution also leads to the formation of rctt-4-pncb crystals. Interestingly, compound 1 shows a high selectivity for Pd(II) sensing in aqueous medium.

Photoreactive Crystals Exhibiting [2 + 2] Photocycloaddition Reaction and Dynamic Effects

ConspectusConducting a reaction in the solid state eliminates the usage of solvents. If such reactions are conducted in a single-crystal to single-crystal (SCSC) fashion, then structural characterization by single-crystal X-ray crystallography (SCXRD) techniques provides unequivocal structural details. Although topochemical principles govern, getting single crystals at the end of a SCSC reaction purely depends on the experimental skills of the researchers. SCSC reactions are common among solid-state [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions (hereafter "photoreaction") after the classical work of Schmidt and co-workers in 1960s. Synthons and tectons in the crystal engineering box can be exploited to bring the functional groups into the required alignment and packing to achieve the desired chemical reactivities and physical properties, respectively. Bringing a pair of alkenes closer together in the organic molecules provides an effective starting point to achieve the goal of crystal engineering.Further, understanding and controlling photoreactivity in the solid state provide a gateway to designing new advanced materials, for example, making cycloreversible optical storage materials, photosalient and photomechanical materials, highly crystalline or even single-crystalline organic polymers, covalent organic framework structures, and organic polymers incorporated inside metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Photoreactions often proceed in a SCSC manner due to the limited movements of the closely disposed reactive functional groups in the crystals. Thus, these photoreactions yield not only quantitative photoproducts but also regio- and stereospecificity, which are otherwise inaccessible by solution syntheses.The traditional definition of crystals being hard, rigid, and brittle is no longer valid ever since the mechanically responsive crystals were discovered. These dynamic crystals undergo various movements like curling, jumping, hopping, popping, splitting, and wiggling, when exposed to light (called "photosalient effect") or heat (called "thermosalient" effect). These crystals generate new methods of transforming light and heat energy into mechanical work. Recently, photosalient behavior during the [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction under UV light has been frequently observed. With the emergence of the field of "crystal adaptronics", dynamic photoreactive crystals have emerged as smart actuating materials.This Account aims to provide an overview of the development in this area, since it has garnered much attention among solid state chemists. While presenting selected examples of important strategies, we try to illustrate the intentions and concepts behind the methods developed, which will help in a rational approach for the fabrication of advanced solid state materials. Apart from topochemical transformations, the important roles played by weak interactions, guest solvents, and mechanical grinding have been highlighted in several classes of compounds to show structural transformations that defy the expected outcomes. Overall, the progress of [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction in solid state materials has been discussed from UV induced structural transformations to the development of smart actuating materials.

Topochemical [2 + 2] Cycloaddition in a Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework via SCSC Transformation Impacts HalogenHalogen Interactions

A photoactive two-dimensional metal-organic framework (2D MOF) [Zn(4-spy)(DCTP)]_n (1) [where 4-spy = 4-styrylpyridine and H₂DCTP = 2,5-dichloroterephthalic acid] undergoes photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition on UV irradiation to obtain three-dimensional (3D) MOF [Zn(rctt-4-ppcb)(DCTP)]_n (2) [rctt-4-ppcb = 1,3-bis(4'-pyridyl)-2,4-bis(phenyl)cyclobutane] in a single-crystal to single-crystal (SCSC) manner. This structural transformation leads to stronger halogen···halogen interaction that is well-corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Mechanical Motion in Crystals Triggered by Solid State Photochemical [2+2] Cycloaddition Reaction

Some special crystals respond to light by jumping, scattering or bursting just like popping of popcorn kernels on a hot surface. This rare phenomenon is called the photosalient (PS) effect. Molecular level control over the arrangement of light-responsive molecules in microscopic crystals for macroscale deformation or mechanical motion offers the possibility of using light to control smart material structures across the length scales. Photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition has recently emerged as a promising route to obtain photoswitchable structures and a wide variety of frameworks, but such reaction in crystals leading to macroscopic mechanical motion is relatively less explored. Study of chemistry of such novel soft crystals for the generation of smart materials is an imperative task. This minireview highlights recent advances in solid-state [2+2] cycloaddition in crystals to induce macroscale mechanical motion and thereby transduction of light into kinetic energy.