Adsorption of tetranitromethane in zeolitic imidazolate frameworks yields energetic materials.

Porous frameworks consisting of functionalized imidazolate ligands and zinc nodes are employed as hosts for the oxidant tetranitromethane to produce energetic composite materials. This new class of energetic materials are achieved through the facile strategy of oxidant adsorption wherein fuel and oxidant are intimately mixed yielding a material that responds violently to thermal and impact stimuli.

Structure activity relationships in metal-organic framework catalysts for the continuous flow synthesis of propylene carbonate from CO2 and propylene oxide.

This paper describes the systematic study of metal-organic framework (MOF) catalysts for the reaction of propylene oxide (PO) with carbon dioxide (CO2) to generate propylene carbonate (PC). These studies began with the evaluation of MIL-101(Cr) as catalyst in a flow reactor. Under the developed flow conditions, MIL-101(Cr) was found to effectively catalyze PO carbonation in the absence of a halide co-catalyst. A systematic study of catalyst performance was then undertaken as a function of MOF synthesis technique, activation conditions, metal center, and node architecture. Ultimately, these investigations led to the identification of MIL-100(Sc) as a new, active, and stable catalyst for PO carbonation.

Core-Shell Structures Arise Naturally During Ligand Exchange in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Examination of the microstructure of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) after postsynthetic exchange (PSE) reveals that the exchanged ligand is concentrated at the edges of the crystal and decreases in concentration with crystal depth, resulting in a core-shell arrangement. Diffusion studies of the carboxylate ligand into MOF-5 indicate that diffusion is limiting to the exchange process and may ultimately be responsible for the observed core-shell structure. Examination of PSE in UMCM-8 and single crystals of UiO-66 shows a similar trend, illustrating the applicability of PSE as a method for the creation of core-shell MOFs.

Purification of Chloromethane by Selective Adsorption of Dimethyl Ether on Microporous Coordination Polymers.

The use of microporous coordination polymers with coordinatively unsaturated metal centers in the removal of dimethyl ether from chloromethane via flow was explored as an alternative to current industrial methods. Three different materials examined, Co/DOBDC, MIL-100(Fe), and HKUST-1, were able to efficiently purify chloromethane through selective adsorption of dimethyl ether. The recyclability of Co/DOBDC after separation was also examined, and little loss of capacity for dimethyl ether over the course of multiple regeneration cycles was observed.

Toward "metalloMOFzymes": Metal-Organic Frameworks with Single-Site Metal Catalysts for Small-Molecule Transformations.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are being increasingly studied as scaffolds and supports for catalysis. The solid-state structures of MOFs, combined with their high porosity, suggest that MOFs may possess advantages shared by both heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, with few of the shortcomings of either. Herein, efforts to create single-site catalytic metal centers appended to the organic ligand struts of MOFs will be discussed. Reactions important for advanced energy applications, such as H2 production and CO2 reduction, will be highlighted. Examining how these active sites can be introduced, their performance, and their existing limitations should provide direction for design of the next generation of MOF-based catalysts for energy-relevant, small-molecule transformations. Finally, the introduction of second-sphere interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding via squaramide groups) as a possible route to enhancing the activity of these metal centers is reported.

Chemically crosslinked isoreticular metal-organic frameworks.

Herein we report the synthesis of canonical isoreticular metal-organic frameworks (IRMOFs) containing interligand crosslinks. Chemically crosslinking two molecules of 2-amino-1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid (NH2-BDC) gives ligands that readily form IRMOF-1 analogs, producing crosslinked MOFs that may be designed to have novel properties.

Functional tolerance in an isoreticular series of highly porous metal-organic frameworks.

A series of highly porous University of Michigan Crystalline Material (UMCM-1) type Zn-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized from mono- and bi-functionalized benzenedicarboxylate (BDC) ligands. In total, 16 new functionalized UMCM-1 derivatives were obtained by a combination of pre- and postsynthetic functionalization. Through postsynthetic modification (PSM), amino-halo bifunctional MOFs were converted into amide-halo materials via solid-state acylation reactions. A series of bifunctional MOFs containing Cl, Br, and I groups revealed that PSM conversion is not affected by the size of the halide, only by the steric bulk of the reagent used in these solid-state organic transformations.