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Solvent-assisted ligand incorporation (SALI) is useful for functionalizing the channels of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials such as NU-1000 that offer substitutionally labile zirconium(IV) coordination sites for nonbridging ligands. Each of the 30 or so previous examples relied upon coordination of a carboxylate ligand to achieve incorporation. Here we show that, with appropriate attention to ligand/node stoichiometry, SALI can also be achieved with phosphonate-terminated ligands. Consistent with stronger M(IV) coordination of phosphonates versus carboxylates, this change extends the pH range for retention of incorporated ligands. The difference in coordination strength can be exploited to achieve stepwise incorporation of pairs of ligands-specifically, phosphonates species followed by carboxylate species-without danger of displacement of the first ligand type by the second. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy suggests that the phosphonate ligands are connected to the MOF node as RPO2(OH)¯ species in a moiety that leaves a base-accessible -OH moiety on each bound phosphonate.

A series of metal–organic framework (MOF) materials containing AuI-carbon covalent bonds was prepared by solvent-assisted linker exchange (SALE) between (alkynyl)gold(phosphine)-functionalized bipyridine linkers and the bipyridyl naphthalene tetracarboxydiimide struts in Zn pillared-paddlewheel MOFs. These new materials could not be obtained by the authors through de novo synthesis or post-synthesis modification, both of which lead to the decomposition of the organometallic complex. In contrast, the SALE process occurs readily under mild conditions that preserve the integrity of both the pillared-paddlewheel structure and the organometallic complex. For bipyridine linkers with similar basicities, the rate of the SALE exhibits a strong inverse dependence on the size of the phosphine ligand in the incoming (alkynyl)gold(phosphine)-functionalized linker, with smaller ligands reacting faster.

Solvent-assisted linker exchange (SALE) was performed on a pillared-paddlewheel metal–organic framework (MOF), SALEM-5, to achieve incorporation of longer linkers into the material. The 9-A meso-1,2-di(4-pyridyl)-1,2-ethanediol pillar of SALEM-5 was successfully replaced by 11-A, 14-A, and 17-A pillars to generate daughter MOFs SALEM-6, SALEM-7, and SALEM-8. The daughter frameworks possess more open cages, as was demonstrated by structural modeling from the powder X-ray diffraction patterns, and larger solvent accessible space, as was demonstrated by thermogravimetric analysis. Finally, a study was performed to examine the effect of pKa of monoprotonated dipyridyl pillars (as an indicator of the Zn–L bond strength) on the outcome of SALE.

A zeolitic imidazolate framework material of SOD topology possessing primarily unsubstituted imidazolate (im) linkers has been synthesized via solvent-assisted linker exchange (SALE) of ZIF-8. The structure of the new material, SALEM-2, has been confirmed through (1)H NMR and powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. SALEM-2 is the first example of a porous Zn(im)(2) ZIF possessing a truly zeolitic topology that can be obtained in bulk quantities. Upon treatment with n-butyllithium, the open analogue exhibits Brønsted base catalysis that cannot be accomplished by the parent material ZIF-8. Additionally, it displays a different size cutoff for uptake and release of molecular guests than does ZIF-8.