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The reactions of group 4 metals (Ti, Zr, and Hf) and 2,5-dihydroxyterephthalic acid (H4dobdc) under solvothermal conditions have been systematically explored, and their major crystalline phases have been investigated by single-crystal diffractions. Ti(IV) forms a layered framework [Ti2(Hdobdc)3] where honeycomb-type sheets are interconnected through strong hydrogen bonding. Various gases are reversibly adsorbed within the straight one-dimensional channels decorated with polar O atoms, and H2 and CO2 show relatively high isosteric heats of adsorption at 6.6 and 29.4 kJ/mol, respectively. Zr(IV)- and Hf(IV)-based MOFs have also been synthesized using the same ligand and are isostructural with the formula (H3O) x [M(dobdc)(bz) x ] (M = Zr or Hf). They have a unique, nonoxo-trinuclear building block that forms a polyhedral network of 6-connected topology. Unlike the two-dimensional net of Ti, the Zr and Hf metal-organic frameworks are hydrothermally stable as unambiguously shown by variable-temperature X-ray diffraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional Mn(II) framework, [Mn2(H2L)(L)0.5(MeOH)(DEF)]·0.1MeOH·0.1DEF·1.4H2O (1; H4L = 2,3-dioxido-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid), was synthesized under solvothermal conditions in diethylformamide/methanol (DEF/MeOH), where the Mn centers adopt octahedral and unusual pentagonal bipyramidal geometries. The ligand H4L was subject to deprotonation to create μ4-H2L2– and μ6-L4– anionic bridges, leading to the construction of a coordination network. The MeOH exchange process of crystalline 1 allowed for another crystalline phase (1a), which reversibly returned to the original crystalline state upon resolvation in DEF/MeOH. After evacuation of 1a, the amorphous phase 1b was irreversibly formed, followed by the restoration of the original phase 1 upon resolvation in DEF/MeOH. Consequently, this framework underwent cyclic structural transformations from the crystalline (1) to crystalline (1a) to amorphous (1b) and back to crystalline (1) phase, which are unique transformations for soft coordination networks. Magnetic measurements demonstrated that antiferromagnetic interactions were operative between the Mn(II) ions and were effectively mediated by the oxygen moieties of the μ6-L4– bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-interpenetrated three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with both an interpenetration-favorable (3,5)-c hms topology and an interpenetration-unfavorable (3,5)-c gra topology are converted to doubly interpenetrated analogues with hms-c topology by thermal treatment, even in the absence of solvent. Depending on the conversion temperature and the properties of the pillaring ligand in the non-interpenetrated 3D MOF, which is based on two-dimensional sheets with 3-c hcb topology pillared by neutral ditopic linkers, the pillaring ligands in the interpenetrated MOFs produced are partially removed during the thermal conversions, leading to interpenetrated MOFs that simultaneously contain both micro- and mesopores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show the structural transition phenomena, gate opening and breathing, upon the input of external stimuli. These phenomena have significant implications in their adsorptive applications. In this work, we demonstrate the direct capture of these gate-opening and breathing phenomena, triggered by CO2 molecules, in a well-designed flexible MOF composed of rotational sites and molecular gates. Combining X-ray single crystallographic data of a flexible MOF during gate opening/closing and breathing with in situ X-ray powder diffraction results uncovered the origin of this flexibility. Furthermore, computational studies revealed the specific sites required to open these gates by interaction with CO2 molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]