Redox Activity as a Powerful Strategy to Tune Magnetic and/or Conducting Properties in Benzoquinone-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks

Tuning the slow magnetic relaxation with the substituents in anilate bridged bis(dysprosium) complexes

Dinuclear lanthanide complexes [((HB(pz)3)2Dy)2(μ-Th2An)] (1Dy) and [((HB(pz)3)2Dy)2(μ-ClCNAn)] (2Dy), based on the hydrotris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate (HBpz3-) scorpionate capping ligand and anilate (An2-) bridging linkers, namely homosubstituted dithiophene- and heterosubstituted chlorocyanoanilate, bearing electron-donating and withdrawing substituents at the 3,6-positions of the benzoquinone core, are reported. 1Dy shows an octacoordinated {N6O2} DyIII ion within a D4h distorted square antiprismatic coordination, an ideal geometry for Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) behavior, given its oblate nature, whereas in 2Dy the octacoordinated DyIII ion adopts a D2d triangular dodecahedron geometry, while maintaining the same {N6O2} coordination sphere. Both complexes show field-induced single molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour, with tuning of the slow magnetic relaxation as a function of the nature of the substituents at the 3,6-positions of the anilate moiety. A comparison of the Arrhenius fitting parameters for 1Dy and 2Dy supports the hypothesis that square antiprismatic DyIII complexes, as 1Dy, exhibit higher energy barriers. This interpretation is supported by ab initio calculations that also shed light on the crucial role of intermolecular dipolar interactions.

Metal-Organic Frameworks Based Sensor Platforms for Rapid Detection of Contaminants in Wastewater

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a type of multifunctional material with organic-inorganic doped metal complexes that have a lot of unsaturated metal sites and a consistent network structure. MOFs work has great performance for enhancing the mass transfer, signal, and sensitivity as well as analyte enrichment. This study highlights the recent advancements of MOFs-based sensors for pollutant detection in a water environment and summarizes the effect of various synthetic materials on the performance of MOFs-based sensors. The related challenges and optimization techniques have been discussed. Then the research results of various MOFs sensors in the detection of wastewater pollutants are analyzed. Finally, the challenges facing MOFs-based water sensor development and the outlook for future research are discussed.

Mechanochemical Access to Catechol-Derived Metal-Organic Frameworks

Mechanochemistry, a resurging synthetic approach, has been developed into an effective and controllable method to access a family of crystalline porous catechol-derived metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the first time. We have identified that the obtained crystalline phase is readily tunable by precursors and the addition of solvents or drying agents. The described mechanochemistry allows us to synthesize these materials in a highly sustainable manner. Thus, mechanochemistry is expected to pave a promising avenue to access a broader class of MOF materials, in addition to those based on the motifs of carboxylic acid or imidazole.

Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks with Three-Dimensional Lattice Containing the m-Tetrathiafulvalene-Tetrabenzoate

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) constructed by tetrathiafulvalene-tetrabenzoate (H₄TTFTB) have been widely studied in porous materials, while the studies of other TTFTB derivatives are rare. Herein, the meta derivative of the frequently used p-H₄TTFTB ligand, m-H₄TTFTB, and lanthanide (Ln) metal ions (Tb³⁺, Er³⁺, and Gd³⁺) were assembled into three novel MOFs. Compared with the reported porous Ln-TTFTB, the resulted three-dimensional frameworks, Ln-m-TTFTB ([Ln₂(m-TTFTB)(m-H₂TTFTB)_0.5(HCOO)(DMF)]·2DMF·3H₂O), possess a more dense stacking which leads to scarce porosity. The solid-state cyclic voltammetry studies revealed that these MOFs show similar redox activity with two reversible one-electron processes at 0.21 and 0.48 V (vs. Fc/Fc⁺). The results of magnetic properties suggested Dy-m-TTFTB and Er-m-TTFTB exhibit slow relaxation of the magnetization. Porosity was not found in these materials, which is probably due to the meta-configuration of the m-TTFTB ligand that seems to hinder the formation of pores. However, the m-TTFTB ligand has shown to be promising to construct redox-active or electrically conductive MOFs in future work.

2,5-Dihydroxy-1,4-quinones appended with two phosphinyl groups: syntheses, structures, and redox properties

Low temperature reactions of 1,4-dichloro-2,5-dimethoxybenzene with two equivalents of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) followed by quenches with chlorophosphines ClPR2 (R = Ph or iPr) yielded 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,5-dichloro-3,6-dimethoxy-benzene (1a) and 1,4-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-2,5-dichloro-3,6-dimethoxy-benzene (1b). Reactions of 1a-b with 30% hydrogen peroxide yielded 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphinyl)-2,5-dichloro-3,6-dimethoxybenzene (2a) and 1,4-bis(diisopropylphosphinyl)-2,5-dichloro-3,6-dimethoxybenzene (2b). Subjecting compounds 2a-b to BBr3/CH3OH resulted in 2,5-bis(diphenylphosphinyl)-3,6-dichlorohydroquinone 3a and 2,5-bis(diisopropylphosphinyl)-3,6-dichlorohydroquinone 3b. Reactions of 3a-b with K2S2O8 under basic conditions followed by acidification allowed for isolation of 2,5-bis(diphenylphosphinyl)-3,6-dihydroxy-quinone (4a) and 2,5-bis(diisopropylphosphinyl)-3,6-dihydroxy-quinone (4b). Compounds 1a-b – 4a-b were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods (nuclear magnetic resonance [FT-NMR] spectroscopy, infrared [FT-IR] spectroscopy, and high resolution mass spectrometry [HRMS]); 3a-b and 4a-b were also investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Compounds 1a-b , 2a , and 4a-b were also characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods.

Glycols in the Synthesis of Zinc-Anilato Coordination Polymers

We report the synthesis, structural investigation, and thermal behavior for three zinc-based 1D-coordination polymers with 3,6-di-tert-butyl-2,5-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone, which were synthesized in the presence of different glycols. The interaction of zinc nitrate with glycols, followed by using the resulting solution in solvothermal synthesis with the anilate ligand in DMF, makes it possible to obtain linear polymer structures with 1,2-ethylene or 1,2-propylene glycols coordinated to the metal. The reaction involving 1,3-propylene glycol under similar conditions gives a crystal structure that does not contain a diol. The crystal and molecular structures of the synthesized compounds were determined using single crystal by X-ray structural analysis. The influence of glycol molecules coordinated to the metal on the thermal destruction of synthesized compounds is shown.

Reversible tuning of luminescence and magnetism in a structurally flexible erbium–anilato MOF

By combining 3,6-N-ditriazolyl-2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone (H₂trz₂An) with NIR-emitting Er^III ions, two different 3D neutral polymorphic frameworks (1a and 1b), differing in the number of uncoordinated water molecules, formulated as [Er₂(trz₂An)₃(H₂O)₄]_n·xH₂O (x = 10, a; x = 7, b), have been obtained. The structure of 1a shows layers with (6,3) topology forming six-membered rings with distorted hexagonal cavities along the bc plane. These 2D layers are interconnected through the N4 atoms of the two pendant arms of the trz₂An linkers, leading to a 3D framework, where neighboring layers are eclipsed along the a axis, with hexagonal channels filled with water molecules. In 1b, layers with (6,3) topology in the [101] plane are present, each Er^III ion being connected to three other Er^III ions through bis-bidentate trz₂An linkers, forming rectangular six-membered cavities. 1a and 1b are multifunctional materials showing coexistence of NIR emission and field-induced slow relaxation of the magnetization. Remarkably, 1a is a flexible MOF, showing a reversible structural phase transition involving shrinkage/expansion from a distorted hexagonal 2D framework to a distorted 3,6-brickwall rectangular 3D structure in [Er₂(trz₂An)₃(H₂O)₂]_n·2H₂O (1a_des). This transition is triggered by a dehydration/hydration process under mild conditions (vacuum/heating to 360 K). The partially dehydrated compound shows a sizeable change in the emission properties and an improvement of the magnetic blocking temperature with respect to the hydrated compound, mainly related to the loss of one water coordination molecule. Theoretical calculations support the experimental findings, indicating that the slight improvement observed in the magnetic properties has its origin in the change of the ligand field around the Er^III ion due to the loss of a water molecule.

Tuning of luminescent and SIM properties is herein reported, in a novel flexible 3D anilato-based Er^III-MOF, displaying reversible shrinkage/expansion from a distorted hexagonal to a 3,6-brickwall rectangular structure.

Perspectives on Molecular Materials—A Tribute to Professor Peter Day

Professor Peter Day FRS was born on 20 August 1938 in Kent (UK) and attended Maidstone Grammar School [...]