Three-Dimensional Visualization of Adsorption Distribution in a Single Crystalline Particle of a Metal-Organic Framework.

Many unique adsorption properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been revealed by diffraction crystallography, visualizing their vacant and guest-loaded crystal structures at the molecular scale. However, it has been challenging to see the spatial distribution of the adsorption behaviors throughout a single MOF particle in a transient equilibrium state. Here, we report three-dimensional (3D) visualization of molecular adsorption behaviors in a single crystalline particle of a MOF by in situ X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy combined with computed tomography for the first time. The 3D maps of water-coordinated Co sites in a 100 µm-scale MOF-74-Co crystal were obtained with 1 µm spatial resolution under several water vapor pressures. Through the visualization of the water vapor adsorption process, 3D spectroimaging revealed the mechanism and spatial heterogeneity of guest adsorption inside a single particle of a crystalline MOF.

Carbon Nanosheets by Morphology-Retained Carbonization of Two-Dimensional Assembled Anisotropic Carbon Nanorings.

Two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanomaterials possessing promising physical and chemical properties find applications in high-performance energy storage devices and catalysts. However, large-scale fabrication of 2D carbon nanostructures is based on a few specific carbon templates or precursors and poses a formidable challenge. Now a new bottom-up method for carbon nanosheet fabrication using a newly designed anisotropic carbon nanoring molecule, CPPhen, is presented. CPPhen was self-assembled at a dynamic air-water interface with a vortex motion to afford molecular nanosheets, which were then carbonized under inert gas flow. Their nanosheet morphologies were retained after carbonization, which has never been seen for low-molecular weight compounds. Furthermore, adding pyridine as a nitrogen dopant in the self-assembly step successfully afforded nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets containing mainly pyridinic nitrogen species.

Electrically Activated Conductivity and White Light Emission of a Hydrocarbon Nanoring-Iodine Assembly.

Numerous otherwise difficult applications have been realized with materials, the chemical/physical properties of which can be controlled by external stimuli such as heat, pressure, photo-irradiation, and voltage bias. However, the complexity of design and the lack of easy-to-conduct synthetic methods make the creation of on-demand stimuli responsive materials a formidable task. Here we report an electric-stimuli-responsive multifunctional material, [10]CPP-I: crystalline assembly of a hydrocarbon nanoring ([10]cycloparaphenylene: [10]CPP) as an "electro-responsive porous host" and iodine as a "potentially functional molecule". Through applying electric stimulus, [10]CPP-I turned to exhibit two attractive properties: electronic conductivity and white light emission. We revealed that electric stimuli trigger the cascade formation of polyiodide chains inside the [10]CPP assembly through charge transfer, leading to the emergence of these properties. This "responsive porous host" approach is expected to be applicable for different stimuli, and opens the path for devising a generic strategy to the development of stimuli-responsive materials.

Cycloparaphenylene as a molecular porous carbon solid with uniform pores exhibiting adsorption-induced softness.

The molecular carbon nanoring, cycloparaphenylene (CPP), is fascinating as a new class of carbonaceous porous solids with the uniform structure of an all-benzene surface. We explored the feasibility of [12]CPP as a carbon-based porous material and uncovered its unique adsorption properties due to its shape and highly nonpolar surface. Unlike other porous carbon solids, [12]CPP shows stepwise adsorption behaviors sensitive to the functionalities of the guest molecules. In situ powder X-ray diffraction and infrared spectra provided insights into how [12]CPP accommodates the guest molecules with structural deformation retaining its structural periodicity during the whole adsorption process, which exemplifies that this molecular nanoring represents an unprecedented carbon-based soft porous solid.

Porous frameworks constructed by non-covalent linking of substitution-inert metal complexes.

The incorporation of active sites into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or porous coordination polymers (PCPs) is an attractive way to functionalise these materials. However, the methodology to organise substitution-inert metal-based secondary building units (SBUs) with active sites into MOFs or PCPs via coordination driven self-assembly is severely limited. In this study, we successfully assembled substitution-inert paddle-wheel Rh(II) dimers to afford three novel porous frameworks, Rh2(ppeb)4(THF)2 (1-THF), Rh2(ppeb)4(3-pentanone)2 (1-PN) and Rh2(ppeb)4(1-adamantylamine)2 (1-AD) (ppeb = 4-[(perfluorophenyl)ethynyl]benzoate), by using non-covalent interactions. Multipoint arene-perfluoroarene (Ar-Ar(F)) interactions, which allow the unidirectional face-to-face interaction mode of aromatic rings, were used to assemble the substitution-inert paddle-wheel Rh(II) dimers. The obtained frameworks were structurally characterisation by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and it is found that all structures exhibited a one-dimensional channel with active axial sites exposed to the pores. The porous properties of the obtained frameworks were also investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, gas adsorption and powder X-ray diffraction measurements. Moreover, the ligand substitution reaction at the active axial sites was examined at the crystalline state and the flexible structural transformation with the change of channel shapes and sizes was observed.

Diffusion-barrier-free porous carbon monoliths as a new form of activated carbon.

For the practical use of activated carbon (AC) as an adsorbent of CH(4) , tightly packed monoliths with high microporosity are supposed to be one of the best morphologies in terms of storage capacity per apparent volume of the adsorbent material. However, monolith-type ACs may cause diffusion obstacles in adsorption processes owing to their necked pore structures among the densely packed particles, which result in a lower adsorption performance than that of the corresponding powder ACs. To clarify the relationship between the pore structure and CH4 adsorptivity, microscopic observations, structural studies on the nanoscale, and conductivity measurements (thermal and electrical) were performed on recently developed binder-free, self-sinterable ACs in both powder and monolithic forms. The monolith samples exhibited higher surface areas and electrical conductivities than the corresponding powder samples. Supercritical CH4 adsorption isotherms were measured for each powder and monolith sample at up to 7 MPa at 263, 273, and 303 K to elucidate their isosteric heats of adsorption and adsorption rate constants, which revealed that the morphologies of the monolith samples did not cause serious drawbacks for the adsorption and desorption processes. This will further facilitate the availability of diffusion-barrier-free microporous carbon monoliths as practical CH4 storage adsorbents.

Clean nanotube unzipping by abrupt thermal expansion of molecular nitrogen: graphene nanoribbons with atomically smooth edges.

We report a novel physicochemical route to produce highly crystalline nitrogen-doped graphene nanoribbons. The technique consists of an abrupt N(2) gas expansion within the hollow core of nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CN(x)-MWNTs) when exposed to a fast thermal shock. The multiwalled nanotube unzipping mechanism is rationalized using molecular dynamics and density functional theory simulations, which highlight the importance of open-ended nanotubes in promoting the efficient introduction of N(2) molecules by capillary action within tubes and surface defects, thus triggering an efficient and atomically smooth unzipping. The so-produced nanoribbons could be few-layered (from graphene bilayer onward) and could exhibit both crystalline zigzag and armchair edges. In contrast to methods developed previously, our technique presents various advantages: (1) the tubes are not heavily oxidized; (2) the method yields sharp atomic edges within the resulting nanoribbons; (3) the technique could be scaled up for the bulk production of crystalline nanoribbons from available MWNT sources; and (4) this route could eventually be used to unzip other types of carbon nanotubes or intercalated layered materials such as BN, MoS(2), WS(2), etc.

Systematic mechanochemical preparation of a series of coordination pillared layer frameworks.

A detailed investigation into the mechanochemical synthesis of coordination pillared-layer frameworks (CPLs), particularly CPL-1, was carried out. In the case of CPL-1, a two-step reaction was observed (from the starting reactants to the final product). In the conventional solution process, no intermediate state was detected. We found that moisture is essential in both the reaction steps. After the final product was washed, it showed the same sorption ability as the product prepared from a solution process. We further demonstrated the systematic preparation of other CPLs (CPL-2, 3, 4, 5, and 15) by the mechanochemical method under humid conditions, even though some of the ligands are almost insoluble in water. Our findings indicate that mechanochemical synthesis is a promising alternative method for the systematic and large-scale production of PCPs. Its advantages include the following: reduced pollution, low cost, simplicity of the process, ease of handling, efficient reaction rate, selectivity, and the issue of low solubility of reactants is overcome.

Anomaly of CH4 molecular assembly confined in single-wall carbon nanohorn spaces.

Vibrational-rotational properties of CH(4) adsorbed on the nanopores of single-wall carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) at 105-140 K were investigated using IR spectroscopy. The difference vibrational-rotational bands of the ν(3) and ν(4) modes below 130 K show suppression of the P and R branches, while the Q branches remain. The widths of the Q branches are much narrower than in the bulk gas phase due to suppression of the Doppler effect. These results indicate that the rotation of CH(4) confined in the nanospaces of SWCNHs is highly restricted, resulting in a rigid assembly structure, which is an anomaly in contrast to that in the bulk liquid phase.

Chemistry of porous coordination polymers having multimodal nanospace and their multimodal functionality.

Remarkable advances in the recent development of porous coordination polymers (PCPs) or metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have paved the way toward functional chemistry having potential application such as molecular storage, separation, and catalysis. Moreover flexible PCPs, which are structurally transformable depending upon guest molecules adsorption/desorption, have received much attention because they provide unique properties, dissimilar to those of zeolites. PCPs can be categorized into structurally monomodal and multimodal classes. Monomodal PCPs possess single uniform pores in the framework. In contrast, multimodal PCPs have more than two types of pores in the framework. Interpenetrated PCPs can possess more than two types of pores with different sizes and shapes in the same framework depending on relative position of individual motifs, resulting in multimodal PCPs. Moreover, interpenetrated PCPs have several advantages, such as high thermal stability, flexibility, and ultramicropore for effective adsorption. In this review, chemistry of PCPs based on monomodal and multimodal PCPs are summarized and discussed.

A pillared-layer coordination polymer with a rotatable pillar acting as a molecular gate for guest molecules.

The design of pore properties utilizing flexible motifs and functional groups is of importance to obtain porous coordination polymers with desirable functions. We have prepared a 3D pillared-layer coordination polymer, {[Cd(2)(pzdc)(2)L(H(2)O)(2)].5(H(2)O).(CH(3)CH(2)OH)}(n) (1, H(2)pzdc = 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylic acid; L = 2,5-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)-1,4-bis(4-pyridyl)benzene) showing (i) a rotatable pillar bearing ethylene glycol side chains acting as a molecular gate with locking/unlocking interactions triggered by guest inclusion between the side chains, (ii) framework flexibility with slippage of the layers, and (iii) coordinatively unsaturated metal centers as guest accessible sites through the removal of the water coligands. The framework clearly shows reversible single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations in response to the removal and rebinding of guest molecules, the observation of these processes has provided fundamental clues to the understanding of the sorption profiles. The X-ray structures indicate that the 3D host framework is retained during the transformations, involving mainly rotation of the pillars and slippage of the layers. The structure of dried form 2, [Cd(2)(pzdc)(2)L](n), has no void volume and no water coligands. Interestingly, the adsorption isotherm of water for 2 at 298 K exhibits three distinct steps coinciding with the framework functions. Compound 2 favors the uptake of CO(2) (195 K) over N(2) (77 K) and O(2) (77 K). Above all, we report on a molecular gate with a rotational module exhibiting a locking/unlocking system which accounts for gate-opening type sorption profiles.

Porous coordination polymer with pyridinium cationic surface, [Zn(2)(tpa)(2)(cpb)].

We have synthesized a porous coordination polymer containing a pyridinium cation as an organic linker and have investigated the methanol absorptive ability of the pyridinium cationic surface. The result implies that the pyridinium cationic surface participates in the strong adsorption of methanol.

A porous coordination polymer with accessible metal sites and its complementary coordination action.

Broken switch: Guest-accessible metal sites are generated on the pore surface of a porous coordination polymer (see figure) through the complementary coordination-bond rearrangement in a single-crystal-to-single-crystal fashion, which is triggered by the removal of coordinated water.

Heterogeneously hybridized porous coordination polymer crystals: fabrication of heterometallic core-shell single crystals with an in-plane rotational epitaxial relationship.

MOF on MOF: Core-shell porous coordination polymer (PCP) crystals are fabricated at the single-crystal level by epitaxial growth in solution. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements unveiled the structural relationship between the shell crystal and the core crystal, where in-plane rotational epitaxial growth compensates the difference in lattice constant.

Selective gas adsorption and unique structural topology of a highly stable guest-free zeolite-type MOF material with N-rich chiral open channels.

A new multifunctional di-topic tetrazolate-based ligand, 2,3-di-1H-tetrazol-5-ylpyrazine (H(2)dtp) has been designed and synthesized. The solvothermal reaction of this ligand with ZnCl(2) gave a robust guest-free three-dimensional zeolite-like chiral metal-organic framework (MOF) complex, [Zn(dtp)], which crystallized in chiral space group P6(1) and possessed chiral open channels with nitrogen-rich walls and the diameter of approximately 4.1 A. This framework presents a unique uniform etd (8,3) topology, is the first example of its type in MOFs, and exhibits high thermal stability with the decomposition temperature above 380 degrees C and permanent porosity. It is interesting that this material is able to selectively adsorb O(2) and CO(2) over N(2) gas, being a rare example in MOFs. In addition, C(2)H(2) and MeOH adsorption results show that although the framework channel holds nitrogen-rich walls that may provide H-bonding sites, no NH H-bond effect between the guest molecules and microporous surface was observed.

Highly controlled acetylene accommodation in a metal-organic microporous material.

Metal-organic microporous materials (MOMs) have attracted wide scientific attention owing to their unusual structure and properties, as well as commercial interest due to their potential applications in storage, separation and heterogeneous catalysis. One of the advantages of MOMs compared to other microporous materials, such as activated carbons, is their ability to exhibit a variety of pore surface properties such as hydrophilicity and chirality, as a result of the controlled incorporation of organic functional groups into the pore walls. This capability means that the pore surfaces of MOMs could be designed to adsorb specific molecules; but few design strategies for the adsorption of small molecules have been established so far. Here we report high levels of selective sorption of acetylene molecules as compared to a very similar molecule, carbon dioxide, onto the functionalized surface of a MOM. The acetylene molecules are held at a periodic distance from one another by hydrogen bonding between two non-coordinated oxygen atoms in the nanoscale pore wall of the MOM and the two hydrogen atoms of the acetylene molecule. This permits the stable storage of acetylene at a density 200 times the safe compression limit of free acetylene at room temperature.