Functionality in metal-organic framework minerals: proton conductivity, stability and potential for polymorphism

Chem Sci. 2019 Apr 2;10(18):4923-4929. doi: 10.1039/c8sc05088k. eCollection 2019 May 14.

Abstract

Rare metal-organic framework (MOF) minerals stepanovite and zhemchuzhnikovite can exhibit properties comparable to known oxalate MOF proton conductors, including high proton conductivity over a range of relative humidities at 25 °C, and retention of the framework structure upon thermal dehydration. They also have high thermodynamic stability, with a pronounced stabilizing effect of substituting aluminium for iron, illustrating a simple design to access stable, highly proton-conductive MOFs without using complex organic ligands.