Low-Valent Metal Ions as MOF Pillars: A New Route Toward Stable and Multifunctional MOFs

R Eric Sikma; Naman Katyal; Su-Kyung Lee; Joseph W Fryer; Catherine G Romero; Samuel K Emslie; Elinor L Taylor; Vincent M Lynch; Jong-San Chang; Graeme Henkelman; Simon M Humphrey

doi:10.1021/jacs.1c05564

Low-Valent Metal Ions as MOF Pillars: A New Route Toward Stable and Multifunctional MOFs

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Sep 1;143(34):13710-13720. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c05564. Epub 2021 Aug 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 4.428 Welch Hall, 105 E. 24th Street Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-0165, United States.
² Research Center for Nanocatalysis, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), P.O. Box 107, Yusung, Daejeon 305-600, Korea.
³ Austin-International Framework Undergraduate Exchange Program, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 120 Inner Campus Drive Stop G2500, Austin, Texas 78712, United States.

PMID: 34410114
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c05564

Abstract

PCM-102 is a new organophosphine metal-organic framework (MOF) featuring diphosphine pockets that consist of pairs of offset trans-oriented P(III) donors. Postsynthetic addition of M(I) salts (M = Cu, Ag, Au) to PCM-102 induces single-crystal to single-crystal transformations and the formation of trans-[P₂M]⁺ solid-state complexes (where P = framework-based triarylphosphines). While the unmetalated PCM-102 has low porosity, the addition of secondary Lewis acids to install rigid P-M-P pillars is shown to dramatically increase both stability and selective gas uptake properties, with N₂ Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas >1500 m² g^-1. The Ag(I) analogue can also be obtained via a simple, one-pot peri-synthetic route and is an ideal sacrificial precursor for materials with mixed bimetallic M^A/M^B pillars via postsynthetic, solvent-assisted metal exchange. Notably, the M-PCM-102 family of MOFs contain periodic trans-[P₂M]⁺ sites that are free of counter anions, unlike traditional analogous molecular complexes, since the precursor PCM-102 MOF is monoanionic, enabling access to charge-neutral metal-pillared materials. Four M-PCM-102 materials were evaluated for the separation of C2 hydrocarbons. The separation performance was found to be tunable based on the metal(s) incorporated, and density functional theory was employed to elucidate the nature of the unusual observed sorption preference, C₂H₂ > C₂H₆ > C₂H₄.