A Tetratopic Phosphonic Acid for the Synthesis of Permanently Porous MOFs: Reactor Size-Dependent Product Formation and Crystal Structure Elucidation via Three-Dimensional Electron Diffraction

Synthesis and Structure Evolution in Metal Carbazole Diphosphonates Followed by Electron Diffraction

To access porous metal phosphonates, a new V-shaped, rigid, and sterically demanding diphosphonic acid, namely 3,6-diphosphono-9H-carbazole (H₄L), was designed and employed in a high-throughput investigation. Screening of different metal salts and subsequent optimization studies resulted in the isolation of two porous metal phosphonates [Cu₂(H₂O)₂(L)]·2H₂O (CAU-37) and [Zn_6.75(H₂O)_1.5(HL)_2.5(L)_1.5]·8H₂O (CAU-57). Structure determination was accomplished by electron diffraction and the dehydration behavior of CAU-37 was followed in situ. A rare case of intralayer water de-/adsorption in CAU-37 was found which leads to a cell volume change of 11.9%. Rod-shaped inorganic building units (IBUs) are connected to layers and structural flexibility is due to "accordion-like" structural changes within the layers. In contrast, in CAU-57 a layered IBU is found, which usually results in the formation of dense structures. Due to the shape and rigidity of the linker, the interconnection of the IBUs results in the formation of pores. Water sorption measurements in combination with powder X-ray diffraction data confirmed the reversibility under structural retention.

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Phosphonate-Based Proton Conducting Metal-Organic Frameworks

Water-stable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with proton-conducting behavior have attracted great attention as promising materials for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Herein, we report the mechanochemical gram-scale synthesis of three new mixed-ligand phosphonate-based MOFs, {Co(H₂PhDPA)(4,4'-bipy)(H₂O)·2H₂O}_n (BAM-1), {Fe(H₂PhDPA)(4,4'-bipy) (H₂O)·2H₂O}_n (BAM-2), and {Cu(H₂PhDPA)(dpe)₂(H₂O)₂·2H₂O}_n (BAM-3) [where H₂PhDPA = phenylene diphosphonate, 4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine, and dpe = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene]. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that BAM-1 and BAM-2 are isostructural and possess a three-dimensional (3D) network structure comprising one-dimensional (1D) channels filled with guest water molecules. Instead, BAM-3 displays a 1D network structure extended into a 3D supramolecular structure through hydrogen-bonding and π-π interactions. In all three structures, guest water molecules are interconnected with the uncoordinated acidic hydroxyl groups of the phosphonate moieties and coordinated water molecules by means of extended hydrogen-bonding interactions. BAM-1 and BAM-2 showed a gradual increase in proton conductivity with increasing temperature and reached 4.9 × 10^-5 and 4.4 × 10^-5 S cm^-1 at 90 °C and 98% relative humidity (RH). The highest proton conductivity recorded for BAM-3 was 1.4 × 10^-5 S cm^-1 at 50 °C and 98% RH. Upon further heating, BAM-3 undergoes dehydration followed by a phase transition to another crystalline form which largely affects its performance. All compounds exhibited a proton hopping (Grotthuss model) mechanism, as suggested by their low activation energy.

New isoreticular phosphonate MOFs based on a tetratopic linker

The tetratopic linker 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-phosphonophenyl)ethylene (H₈TPPE) was used to synthesize the three new porous metal-organic frameworks of composition [M₂(H₂O)₂(H₂TPPE)]·xH₂O (M = Al³⁺, Ga³⁺, Fe³⁺), denoted as M-CAU-53 under hydrothermal reaction conditions, using the corresponding metal nitrates as starting materials. The crystal structures of the compounds were determined ab initio from powder X-ray diffraction data, revealing small structural differences. Proton conductivity measurements were carried out, indicating different conductivity mechanisms. The differences in proton conductivity could be linked to the individual structures. In addition, a thorough characterization via thermogravimetry, elemental analysis, IR-spectroscopy as well as N₂- and H₂O-sorption is given.

A series of novel Co(ii)-based MOFs: syntheses, structural diversity, and various properties

Three novel Co(ii)-based MOFs, having structural diversities and various properties are successfully synthesized.