Adsorption of light hydrocarbons in the flexible MIL-53(Cr) and rigid MIL-47(V) metal-organic frameworks: a combination of molecular simulations and microcalorimetry/gravimetry measurements.

The adsorption of short linear alkanes has been explored in the highly flexible MIL-53(Cr) porous metal-organic framework by means of molecular simulations based on configurational bias grand canonical Monte Carlo. The unusual shape of the adsorption isotherms with the existence of steps has been successfully modelled by creating a (narrow pore, large pore) phase mixture domain, the composition of which varies with pressure. A further step consisted of combining our computational approach with several experimental tools including microcalorimetry, gravimetry and in situ X-ray diffraction, to fully characterize the adsorption behaviour of the isostructural MIL-47(V) rigid MOF, i.e. the preferential arrangement of each type of alkane inside the pores and the resulting interaction energy. Finally, relationships are established between the adsorption enthalpies and both alkyl chain length and polarisability of the alkanes that can be further utilised to predict the energetics of the adsorption process for longer alkane chains.

Complex adsorption of short linear alkanes in the flexible metal-organic-framework MIL-53(Fe).

This investigation is based on a combination of experimental tools completed by a computational approach to deeply characterize the unusual adsorption behavior of the flexible MIL-53(Fe) in the presence of short linear alkanes. In contrast to the aluminum or chromium analogues we previously reported, the iron MIL-53 solid, which initially exhibits a closed structure in the dry state, shows more complex adsorption isotherms with multisteps occurring at pressures that depend on the nature of the alkane. This behavior has been attributed to the existence of four discrete pore openings during the whole adsorption process. Molecular simulations coupled with in situ X-ray powder diffraction were able to uncover these various structural states.

Evidence of flexibility in the nanoporous iron(iii) carboxylate MIL-89.

The very large expansion upon adsorption of liquids, up to 160% in cell volume, has been observed in the iron(iii) trans,trans muconate MIL-89 [(MIL = Material Institut Lavoisier]. The structure of lutidine-containing MIL-89 (lutidine = 2,6-dimethylpyridine) has been determined using X-ray powder diffraction and computer simulations. Finally, the consequences of adsorption of various polar and apolar liquids have been evaluated using ex situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and reveals that the swelling behavior of MIL-89 is selective but slightly different from the MIL-88 analogues.

Experimental evidence supported by simulations of a very high H2 diffusion in metal organic framework materials.

Quasielastic neutron scattering measurements are combined with molecular dynamics simulations to extract the self-diffusion coefficient of hydrogen in the metal organic frameworks MIL-47(V) and MIL-53(Cr). We find that the diffusivity of hydrogen at low loading is about 2 orders of magnitude higher than in zeolites. Such a high mobility has never been experimentally observed before in any nanoporous materials, although it was predicted in carbon nanotubes. Either 1D or 3D diffusion mechanisms are elucidated depending on the chemical features of the MIL framework.

Role of solvent-host interactions that lead to very large swelling of hybrid frameworks.

An unusually large expansion upon solvent adsorption occurs without apparent bond breaking in the network of a series of isoreticular chromium(III) or iron(III) diarboxylates labeled MIL-88A to D [dicarbox = fumarate (88A); terephthalate (1,4-BDC) (88B); 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (2,6-NDC) (88C); and 4-4'-biphenyldicarboxylate (4-4'-BPDC) (88D)]. This reversible "breathing" motion was analyzed in terms of cell dimensions (extent of breathing), movements within the framework (mechanism of transformation), and the interactions between the guests and the skeleton. In situ techniques show that these flexible solids are highly selective absorbents and that this selectivity is strongly dependent on the nature of the organic linker.

Charge distribution in metal organic framework materials: transferability to a preliminary molecular simulation study of the CO(2) adsorption in the MIL-53 (Al) system.

Density functional theory calculations have been performed in order to extract the charge distribution in the aluminium-containing MIL-53 structure, to allow further computational studies of adsorption in these materials. Both cluster and periodic methods have been used and the charges calculated for each atom constituting the organic and inorganic part of the material, were discussed. Preliminary grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, based on a consistent set of potential parameters and this newly derived charge distribution, predicted for enthalpies of adsorption for CO(2) at low coverage in the "large" and "narrow" pore versions of MIL-53 (Al) to be significantly different. These calculated enthalpies reproduced the two distinct ranges of values observed by microcalorimetry on either side of 6 bars quite well. This agreement between experiment and simulation validated our previous assumption, suggesting a structural switching of the hybrid material during the adsorption process. The microscopic mode of interaction between the hybrid porous framework and the CO(2) adsorption was then carefully analysed in both of the MIL-53 (Al) structures.

A chromium terephthalate-based solid with unusually large pore volumes and surface area.

We combined targeted chemistry and computational design to create a crystal structure for porous chromium terephthalate, MIL-101, with very large pore sizes and surface area. Its zeotype cubic structure has a giant cell volume (approximately 702,000 cubic angstroms), a hierarchy of extra-large pore sizes (approximately 30 to 34 angstroms), and a Langmuir surface area for N2 of approximately 5900 +/- 300 square meters per gram. Beside the usual properties of porous compounds, this solid has potential as a nanomold for monodisperse nanomaterials, as illustrated here by the incorporation of Keggin polyanions within the cages.

A microporous scandium terephthalate, Sc2(O2CC6H4CO2)3, with high thermal stability.

A scandium terephthalate with isolated ScO6 octahedra and fully-linked carboxylate groups is prepared hydrothermally and possesses a novel hybrid framework structure with high thermal stability and a pore volume for N2 adsorption of 0.26 cm(3) g(-1) at 77 K.

VIII(OH)[O2C-C6H4-CO2].(HO2C-C6H4-CO2H)x(DMF)y(H2O)z(or MIL-68), a new vanadocarboxylate with a large pore hybrid topology: reticular synthesis with infinite inorganic building blocks?

V(III)(OH)[O(2)C-C(6)H(4)-CO(2)].(HO(2)C-C(6)H(4)-O(2)H)(x)(DMF)(y)(H(2)O)(z) or MIL-68 was solvothermally synthesised in a non-aqueous medium. Its structure, built up from octahedral chains connected by terephthalate linkers, exhibits large hexagonal channels containing different occluded moieties. Their irreversible removal releases a specific surface area of 603(22) m(2).g(-1)(BET).

Synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of two new vanadocarboxylates with three-dimensional hybrid frameworks.

(V(III)(OH))(2)[C(6)H(2)(CO(2))(4)].4H(2)O (labeled MIL-60) and V(III)(OH)[(2)(O(2)C)C(6)H(2)(COOH)(2)].H(2)O (labeled MIL-61) were hydrothermally synthesized from mixtures of VCl(3), 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid, and water heated for 3 days at 473 K. The structure of MIL-60 was solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data in the triclinic centrosymmetric P1 (No. 2) space group with lattice parameters a = 6.3758(5) A, b = 6.8840(5) A, c = 9.0254(5) A, alpha = 69.010(2) degrees, beta = 85.197(2) degrees, gamma = 79.452(2) degrees, V = 363.53(5) A(3), and Z = 1. The structure of MIL-61 was ab initio determined from an X-ray powder diffraction pattern. MIL-61 crystallizes in the Pnma (No. 62) orthorhombic space group with lattice parameters a = 14.8860(1) A, b = 6.9164(1) A, c = 10.6669(2) A, V = 1098.23(3) A(3), and Z = 4. Both structures contain the same inorganic building block that consists of trans chains of V(III)O(4)(OH)(2) octahedra. The three-dimensional frameworks of MIL-60 and MIL-61 are constituted by the linkage of these chains via the organic molecules so delimiting the channels or cages where the water molecules are encapsulated. The magnetic behavior of these two phases is presented: MIL-60 is paramagnetic, and MIL-61 antiferromagnetically orders below T(N) = 55(5) K.

[Fe2(C10O8H2)]: an antiferromagnetic 3D iron(II) carboxylate built from ferromagnetic edge-sharing octahedral chains (MIL-62).

The first three-dimensional iron(II) tetracarboxylate is built from the connection of chains of edge-sharing Fe(II) octahedra by 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylates; magnetic measurements show an antiferromagnetic coupling of ferromagnetic chains below TN = 25(1) K.

[V(III)(H2O)]3O(O2CC6H4CO2)3.(Cl, 9H2O) (MIL-59): a rare example of vanadocarboxylate with a magnetically frustrated three-dimensional hybrid framework.

[V(III)(H2O)]3O(O2CC6H4CO2)3.(Cl, 9H2O) (denoted MIL-59) presents a three-dimensional framework built up from octahedral vanadium trimers joined via the isophthalate anionic linkers to delimit cages where water molecules and chlorine anions are occluded; the frustrated magnetic behaviour of MIL-59 is discussed.

Hydrothermal synthesis and structure determination from powder data of new three-dimensional titanium(IV) diphosphonates Ti(O(3)P-(CH(2))(n)-PO(3)) or MIL-25(n) (n = 2, 3).

Ti(O(3)P-(CH(2))(n)-PO(3)) or MIL-25(n) (n = 2, 3) were prepared under hydrothermal conditions (4 days, 463 K, autogenous pressure). Their structures were determined ab initio from X-ray diffraction powder data. MIL-25(2) is triclinic (space group P-1 (no. 2)), with a = 5.033(1), b = 5.092(1), c = 6.859(1) A, alpha = 95.860(1) degrees, beta = 99.994(1) degrees, gamma = 118.217(1) degrees, and Z = 2. MIL-25(3) exhibits an orthorhombic symmetry (space group Cm2m (no. 38)), with a = 5.230(1), b = 8.451(1), c = 17.400(2) A, and Z = 4. Their three-dimensional structures are built up from TiO(6) titanium(IV) octahedra linked together via diphosphonate groups. This leads to pillared structures whose inorganic sheets are closely related to those of the alphaTiP titanium phosphate structure.

Chemistry-structure-simulation or chemistry-simulation-structure sequences? The case of MIL-34, a new porous aluminophosphate.

A new aluminophosphate, MIL-34, is investigated from its as-synthesized structure to its calcined microporous form. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements on the as-synthesized MIL-34 (Al(4)(PO(4))(4)OH x C(4)H(10)N, space group P-1, a = 8.701(3) A, b = 9.210(3) A, c = 12.385(3) A, alpha = 111.11(2) degrees, beta = 101.42(2) degrees, gamma = 102.08(2) degrees, V = 863.8(4) A(3), Z = 2, R = 3.8%) reveal a 3-D open framework where Al atoms are in both tetrahedral and trigonal bipyramidal coordinations. It contains a 2-D pore system defined by eight rings where channels along [100] cross channels running along [010] and [110]. CBuA molecules are trapped at their intersection. (27)Al, (31)P, and (1)H MAS NMR spectroscopies corroborate these structural features. Calcination treatments of a powder sample of the as-synthesized MIL-34 indicate its transformation into the related template-free structure that is stable up to 1000 degrees C. Lattice energy minimizations are then used in order to anticipate the crystal structure of the calcined MIL-34, starting with the knowledge of the as-synthesized structure exclusively. Energy minimizations predict a new regular zeotype structure (AlPO(4), space group P-1, a = 8.706 A, b = 8.749 A, c = 12.768 A, alpha = 111.17 degrees, beta = 97.70 degrees, gamma = 105.14 degrees, V = 846.75 A(3), Z = 2) together with a thermodynamic stability similar to that of existing zeotype AlPOs. Excellent agreement is observed between the diffraction pattern calculated from the predicted calcined MIL-34 and the experimental X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the calcined sample. Finally, the atomic coordinates and cell parameters of the calcined MIL-34 predicted from the simulations are used to perform the Rietveld refinement of the calcined sample powder pattern, further corroborated by (27)Al and (31)P NMR measurements. This unique combination of experiment and simulation approaches is an interesting and innovative strategy in materials sciences, where simulations articulate the prediction of a possible template-free framework from its as-synthesized templated form. This is especially valuable when straightforward characterizations of the solid of interest with conventional techniques are not easy to carry out.

Trapping of an activated HF molecule inside a double four-ring unit: a quantum chemical model of the microporous fluorinated gallium phosphate ULM-18.

The penetration of a proton into the prenucleation building unit of a microporous gallophosphate and its interaction with an encapsulated fluorine anion have been investigated by means of DFT calculations. The inorganic part of the fluorinated gallophosphate ULM-18 has been modeled by a neutral, double four-ring (D4R) unit of formula [(GaOH)4(HPO4)4-H2O] encapsulating the fluorine ion. Assuming the cage to be rigid and to retain throughout the calculations the geometry determined from X-ray diffraction (XRD), the position of F(-) has been optimized, either as an isolated guest species or in the presence of an incoming proton. In agreement with the XRD structure, the fluorine atom has been shown to occupy in both cases a nonsymmetric position in the cage, being attached to three gallium atoms out of four. The distribution of the molecular electrostatic potential inside and outside the (F(-))@[(GaOH)4(HPO4)4-H2O] system has provided indications concerning the pathways that could be used by an incoming proton to penetrate the D4R unit and to approach the fluorine anion. The migration of a proton from an external site of fixation to the interior of the D4R unit has been found possible through two faces out of six. In both cases, the process has been found exothermic by approximately 0.17 eV and the energy barrier was estimated to approximately 0.8 eV. Inside the gallophosphate cage, the proton first adopts a position typical of a strong F...H...O bond made possible through an important shift of the fluorine anion away from the tripod of bonded gallium atoms. Then, the F(-)...H(+) system can easily evolve back and forth on a flat potential curve between one of the F...H...O bonded conformations and a situation characterized by the cleavage of the H...O link and the formation of a moderately activated F-H molecule, with the fluorine still attached to three gallium atoms.

Hydrothermal synthesis and ab initio structural resolution from X-ray powder diffraction of a new open framework Cu(II) carboxyethylphosphonate: Na[Cu(O3P-(CH2)2-CO2)].

Na[Cu(O3P-(CH2)2-CO2)], or MIL-39 (for Material of Institut Lavoisier), was synthesized hydrothermally at 443 K for 72 h under autogenous pressure. Its three-dimensional open structure was determined from X-ray powder diffraction. MIL-39 is monoclinic, it crystallizes in the space group P2(1)/m, (No. 11) with the following cell parameters at 293 K: a = 8.808(1) A, b = 6.4149(8) A, c = 5.3418(8) A, beta = 105.75(1) degrees, Z = 2. Its framework contains double rows built from isolated distorted CuO5 square pyramids linked by PO3C tetrahedral groups from (O3P-(CH2)2-CO2)3- organic moieties. At the other end of these latter moieties, the carboxylate group links two different Cu polyhedra of two neighboring chains. These connections define two types of channels along [010].

Tetraaquabis(3,5-dicarboxybenzoato-O)cobalt(II)

The hydrothermal reaction of cobalt(II) chloride with trimesate (3, 5-dicarboxybenzoate) ions in aqueous solution gives the novel title complex, [Co(C(9)H(5)O(6))(2)(H(2)O)(4)]. The Co(II) ion lies on an inversion centre and is octahedrally coordinated to two trimesate anions and four water molecules. Hydrogen bonds ensure the three-dimensional architecture of the structure.