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Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted great attention as a new type of prospective material with various merits and functionalities. MOFs can either act as biomimetic catalysts to mimic enzymatic activities or serve as hosts to encapsulate bio-active species for biomimetic catalysis. However, in comparison with the dramatic development of MOFs in other catalytic fields, MOF-based biomimetic catalysis is still in its infancy and is yet to be systematically and comprehensively explored. Herein, the principles and strategies for the design and synthesis of MOF-based biomimetic catalysts, especially the structural features of representative MOFs that are related to biomimetic catalysis, are summarized and reviewed. In addition, recent advances in biomimetic catalysis of MOFs and the relationships between their catalytic performances and the structural specificities are discussed in detail as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six novel lanthanide complexes ([Nd2(L)(H2O)6]n·4.58n(H2O) (1), [Ln(H3L)(H2O)]n·0.5n(H2O), Ln = Sm (2), Eu (3), Gd (4), Tb (5), Eu0.18Gd0.62Tb0.20 (6)) have been hydrothermally synthesized based on the ligand 4,5-di(3,5-dicarboxylphenoxy)phthalic acid (H6L). Single crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that complexes 1–6 are 2D structures, where 2–6 are isomorphic. Complexes 3 and 5 exhibit the characteristic fluorescence of Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions respectively, while complex 4 shows blue-green light emission based on the ligand. In particular, the ternary Eu/Gd/Tb complex 6 shows white light emission with a CIE (Commission International del'Eclairage) chromaticity coordinate of (0.330, 0.339) and hence close to pure white light emission. Moreover, complexes 3 and 5 display specific fluorescence-enhanced detection performance for Pb2+ ions: The interaction between Pb2+ ions and the ligand enhances the charge transfer efficiency between the ligand and the Eu(III) and Tb(III) ions and thus leads to fluorescence enhancement of complexes 3 and 5. More importantly, complex 3 exhibits the lowest detection limit of 4.72 nM for Pb2+ ions among the existing complex fluorescent probes. In addition, both complexes 3 and 5 show good performance for recycling and for the detection of Pb2+ in real water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorhexidine dodecyl sulfate (CHX-DS) was synthesized and characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, 1H nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY), and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The solid-state structure, comprising a 1 : 2 stoichiometric ratio of chlorhexidine cations [C22H30Cl2N10]2+ to dodecyl sulfate anions [C12H25SO4]−, is the first report of chlorhexidine isolated with a surfactant. CHX-DS exhibits broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and demonstrates superior efficacy for reducing bacteria-generated volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) as compared to chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CHX-DS were 7.5, 2.5, 2.5, and 10 μM for S. enterica, E. coli, S. aureus, and S. mutans, respectively. Furthermore, MIC assays for E. coli and S. mutans demonstrate that CHX-DS and CHX exhibit a statistically significant efficacy enhancement in 2.5 μM treatment as compared to CHG. CHX-DS was incorporated into SBA-15, a mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) framework, and its release was qualitatively measured via UV-vis in aqueous media, which suggests its potential as an advanced functional material for drug delivery applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inorganic–organic hybrid probe MP-ZIF-90 was synthesized via a simple condensation reaction based on the free CHO groups of zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90) and 4-methyl-1-(4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)benzyl)pyridinium bromide (MP). This probe exhibited intense green emission, which was selectively quenched by the addition of ClO− anions. The response of probe MP-ZIF-90 toward ClO− was rapid (within 20 s) and sensitive, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.612 μM. Importantly, the utilization of the probe in the fluorescence imaging of ClO− anions in the mitochondria of living cells and zebrafish was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a ternary nanocomposite photocatalyst (MOF-1/GO/Fe3O4) based on a novel Nd-MOF, graphene oxide (GO), and Fe3O4 was successfully prepared. It was verified that the MOF nanoparticles and GO sheets were integrated by means of intimate interfacial contacts and a large number of Fe3O4 microspheres were uniformly loaded on the surface of GO. The ternary nanocomposite was a stable, environmentally friendly, and efficient visible-light photocatalyst, which displayed excellent photocatalytic performance in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) (∼95%) dye within 80 min under sunlight irradiation in the aqueous solution. Compared to MOF-1, the photocatalytic efficiency of the composite was improved by 90% and the excitation wavelength was moved from the ultraviolet to visible region. The enhancement of photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the introduction of GO, which efficiently accelerated electron migration, minimized the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, and improved the optical absorption properties, leading to a synergistic facilitation of the photocatalysis process. The ternary composite demonstrated excellent stability and reusability and can be easily recovered by a magnetic field. The study would provide novel avenues for the preparation of highly efficient and environmentally stable photocatalysts for organic wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report for the first time the investigation of thermal conductivity for a perovskite-type MOF crystal. In situ single crystal X-ray diffraction technology was employed to track the phase transition of a newly synthesized perovskite MOF. The perovskite MOF crystal exhibits a low thermal conductivity of 1.3 W (K m)−1 in comparison to most of the bulk crystal materials at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has now been demonstrated that Ru(ii)tris(2,2′-bipyridine) (RuBpy) can be utilized to template the formation of new metal organic framework (MOF) materials containing crystallographically resolved RuBpy clusters with unique photophysical properties. Two such materials, RWLC-1 and RWLC-2, have now been reported from our laboratory and are composed of RuBpy encapsulated in MOFs composed of Zn(ii) ions and 1,3,5-tris(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene ligands (C. L. Whittington, L. Wojtas and R. W. Larsen, Inorg. Chem., 2014, 53, 160–166). Here, a third RuBpy templated photoactive MOF is described (RWLC-3) that is derived from the reaction between Zn(ii) ions and 1,4-dicarboxybenzene in the presence of RuBpy. Single Crystal X-ray diffraction studies determined the position of RuBpy cations within the crystal lattice. The RWLC-3 structure is described as a 2-fold interpenetrated pillared honeycomb network (bnb) containing crystallographically resolved RuBpy clusters. The two bnb networks are weakly interconnected. The encapsulated RuBpy exhibits two emission decay lifetimes (τ-fast = 120 ns, τ-slow = 453 ns) and a bathochromic shift in the steady state emission spectrum relative to RuBpy in ethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]