Modulation by Amino Acids: Toward Superior Control in the Synthesis of Zirconium Metal-Organic Frameworks.

The synthesis of zirconium metal-organic frameworks (Zr MOFs) modulated by various amino acids, including l-proline, glycine, and l-phenylalanine, is shown to be a straightforward approach toward functional-group incorporation and particle-size control. High yields in Zr-MOF synthesis are achieved by employing 5 equivalents of the modulator at 120 °C. At lower temperatures, the method provides a series of Zr MOFs with increased particle size, including many suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Furthermore, amino acid modulators can be incorporated at defect sites in Zr MOFs with an amino acid/ligand ratio of up to 1:1, depending on the ligand structure and reaction conditions. The MOFs obtained through amino acid modulation exhibit an improved CO2 -capture capacity relative to nonfunctionalized materials.

Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) Defects under Control: Insights into the Missing Linker Sites and Their Implication in the Reactivity of Zirconium-Based Frameworks.

For three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the presence and nature of structural defects has been recognized as a key factor shaping the material's physical and chemical behavior. In this work, the formation of the "missing linker" defects has been addressed in the model biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate (bpdc)-based Zr MOF, UiO-67. The defect showed strong dependence on the nature of the modulator acid used in the MOF synthesis; the defects, in turn, were found to correlate with the MOF physical and chemical properties. The dynamic nature of the Zr6 (node)-monocarboxylate bond showed promise in defect functionalization and "healing", including the formation of X-ray-quality "defect-free" UiO-67 single crystals. Chemical transformations at defect sites have also been explored. The study was also extended to the isoreticular UiO-66 and UiO-68' systems.

Water-stable zirconium-based metal-organic framework material with high-surface area and gas-storage capacities.

We designed, synthesized, and characterized a new Zr-based metal-organic framework material, NU-1100, with a pore volume of 1.53 ccg(-1) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 4020 m(2) g(-1) ; to our knowledge, currently the highest published for Zr-based MOFs. CH4 /CO2 /H2 adsorption isotherms were obtained over a broad range of pressures and temperatures and are in excellent agreement with the computational predictions. The total hydrogen adsorption at 65 bar and 77 K is 0.092 g g(-1) , which corresponds to 43 g L(-1) . The volumetric and gravimetric methane-storage capacities at 65 bar and 298 K are approximately 180 vSTP /v and 0.27 g g(-1) , respectively.