Installing a molecular truss beam stabilizes MOF structures

Abstract Enhancing the stability and durability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is vital for practical applications because many promising MOF materials suffer from phase transitions and/or structural decompositions with humidity being a particularly damaging condition. In mechanical engineering,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hong Ki Kim, Jong-Yeong Jung, Gyumin Kang, Mu-Hyun Baik, Eun-Young Choi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-05-01
Series:npj Computational Materials
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-022-00799-3
Description
Summary:Abstract Enhancing the stability and durability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is vital for practical applications because many promising MOF materials suffer from phase transitions and/or structural decompositions with humidity being a particularly damaging condition. In mechanical engineering, the frame of buildings and furniture can be stabilized significantly by installing a truss beam. Employing the same principle, we functionalized the organic component of MOF-5 to contain a carbazole moiety that can act as a molecular truss beam by reaching across the corner and forming a stable π–π interaction with a phenyl group on the edge position of the MOF-skeleton. This structural support enhanced the stability of the MOF substantially, allowing the designed MOF to maintain compositional integrity under steam conditions at 90 °C for ~5 days. The unmodified MOF-5 shows clear signs of structural collapse after ~1 h.
ISSN:2057-3960