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A controlled growth of two‐dimensional (2D) π‐conjugated metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) on solid substrates can open exciting opportunities for the application of 2D MOFs as optoelectronic devices. Some factors like solvent composition and type of substrates are known to influence the properties of solution‐processed 2D MOF crystals; however, a mechanistic understanding of how interactions between solvent, substrate, and precursors affect heterogeneous nucleation has been limited. Here, it is reported that the structure of Ni‐catecholate (Ni‐CAT‐1) MOFs at a solid–liquid interface is controlled by solvent–substrate and solvent–MOF precursor interactions. Specifically, the structure of the MOF film can be controlled by varying the affinity of the solvent to the substrate. As a fraction of N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) in a binary solvent mixture of water and DMF increases, the arrangement of Ni‐CAT‐1 crystals varies from vertically aligned nanorods to the graphite substrate to less ordered nanorods with the lower initial nucleation number density of Ni‐CAT‐1 crystals on the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two‐dimensional (2D) conductive metal‐organic frameworks (MOF) represent a unique class of electrode materials with high capacity and power density. Understanding molecular mechanisms and pathways for heterogeneous nucleation of 2D π‐conjugated MOFs is highly desirable for controlling the structure and properties of conductive MOFs on solid substrates. Herein, a systematic study of nucleation and growth of 2D π‐conjugated Ni‐catecholate (Ni‐CAT‐1) MOFs on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and copper substrates is reported. It is discovered that the nucleation density and growth kinetics of the MOF film can be controlled by varying substrate interactions with the organic linker. Specifically, π–π interactions between the linker and the HOPG dictate lower nucleation density, whereas π–metal interactions between the linker and the copper substrate dictate faster nucleation and higher nucleation densities. These studies reveal the key mechanism for Ni‐CAT‐1 nucleation on different surfaces and provide insights into interfacial control over the growth of other 2D π‐conjugated MOF films on solid substrates to inform synthesis of functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capture of the xenon and krypton from nuclear reprocessing off‐gas is essential to the treatment of radioactive waste. Although various porous materials have been employed to capture Xe and Kr, the development of high‐performance adsorbents capable of trapping Xe/Kr at very low partial pressure as in the nuclear reprocessing off‐gas conditions remains challenging. Herein, we report a self‐adjusting metal‐organic framework based on multiple weak binding interactions to capture trace Xe and Kr from the nuclear reprocessing off‐gas. The self‐adjusting behavior of ATC‐Cu and its mechanism have been visualized by the in‐situ single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies and theoretical calculations. The self‐adjusting behavior endows ATC‐Cu unprecedented uptake capacities of 2.65 and 0.52 mmol g−1 for Xe and Kr respectively at 0.1 bar and 298 K, as well as the record Xe capture capability from the nuclear reprocessing off‐gas. Our work not only provides a benchmark Xe adsorbent but proposes a new route to construct smart materials for efficient separations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular confinement plays a significant effect on trapped gas and solvent molecules. A fundamental understanding of gas adsorption within the porous confinement provides information necessary to design a material with improved selectivity. In this regard, metal–organic framework (MOF) adsorbents are ideal candidate materials to study confinement effects for weakly interacting gas molecules, such as noble gases. Among the noble gases, xenon (Xe) has practical applications in the medical, automotive and aerospace industries. In this Communication, we report an ultra‐microporous nickel‐isonicotinate MOF with exceptional Xe uptake and selectivity compared to all benchmark MOF and porous organic cage materials. The selectivity arises because of the near perfect fit of the atomic Xe inside the porous confinement. Notably, at low partial pressure, the Ni–MOF interacts very strongly with Xe compared to the closely related Krypton gas (Kr) and more polarizable CO2. Further 129Xe NMR suggests a broad isotropic chemical shift due to the reduced motion as a result of confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZIF‐8 was synthesized in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). In situ powder X‐ray diffraction, ex situ microscopy, and simulations provide an encompassing view of the formation of ZIF‐8 and intermediary ZnO@ZIF‐8 composites in this nontraditional solvent. Time‐resolved imaging exposed divergent physicochemical reaction pathways from previous studies of the growth of anisotropic ZIF‐8 core@shell structures in traditional solvents. Synthetically relevant physiochemical properties of scCO2 were integrated into classical nucleation theory, relating interfacial forces, calculated through DFTB+ based molecular dynamics (MD), with 3D nucleation outcomes. The kinetics of crystallization were examined and displayed a characteristic signature of time‐ and temperature‐dependent mechanisms over the extent of the reaction. Lastly, it is shown that subtle factors, such as the extent of reaction and the size/shape of sacrificial templates can tailor ZIF‐8 composition and size, eliciting control over hierarchical porosity in a nonconventional green solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deliberate construction of isoreticular eea‐metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) (Cu‐eea‐1, Cu‐eea‐2 and Cu‐eea‐3) and rtl‐MOFs (Co‐rtl‐1 and Co‐rtl‐2) has been accomplished based on the ligand‐to‐axial pillaring of supermolecular building layers. The use of different metal ions resulted in two types of supermolecular building layers (SBLs): Kagome (kgm) and square lattices (sql) which further interconnect to form anticipated 3D‐MOFs. The isoreticular expansion of (3,6)‐connected Cu‐MOFs has been achieved with desired eea‐topology based on kgm building layers. In addition, two (3,6)‐connected Co‐rtl‐MOFs were also successfully constructed based on sql building layers. The Cu‐eea‐MOFs were shown to act as hydrogen storage materials with appreciable amount of hydrogen uptake abilities. Moreover Cu‐eea‐MOFs have also exhibited remarkable CO2 capture ability at ambient condition compared to nitrogen and methane, due to the presence of amide functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we show how the spatial environment in the functional pores of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can be manipulated in order to exert control in catalysis. The underlying mechanism of this strategy relies on the placement of linear polymers in the pore channels that are anchored with catalytic species, analogous to outer‐sphere residue cooperativity within the active sites of enzymes. This approach benefits from the flexibility and enriched concentration of the functional moieties on the linear polymers, enabling the desired reaction environment in close proximity to the active sites, thereby impacting the reaction outcomes. Specifically, in the representative dehydration of fructose to produce 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural, dramatic activity and selectivity improvements have been achieved for the active center of sulfonic acid groups in COFs after encapsulation of polymeric solvent analogues 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone and ionic liquid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xenon is known to be a very efficient anesthetic gas, but its cost prohibits the wider use in medical industry and other potential applications. It has been shown that Xe recovery and recycling from anesthetic gas mixtures can significantly reduce its cost as anesthetic. The current technology uses series of adsorbent columns followed by low-temperature distillation to recover Xe; this method is expensive to use in medical facilities. Herein, we propose a much simpler and more efficient system to recover and recycle Xe from exhaled anesthetic gas mixtures at room temperature using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Among the MOFs tested, PCN-12 exhibits unprecedented performance with high Xe capacity and Xe/O2, Xe/N2 and Xe/CO2 selectivity at room temperature. The in situ synchrotron measurements suggest that Xe is occupies the small pockets of PCN-12 compared to unsaturated metal centers (UMCs). Computational modeling of adsorption further supports our experimental observation of Xe binding sites in PCN-12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and cost-effective removal of radioactive pertechnetate anions from nuclear waste is a key challenge to mitigate long-term nuclear waste storage issues. Traditional materials such as resins and layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were evaluated for their pertechnetate or perrhenate (the non-radioactive surrogate) removal capacity, but there is room for improvement in terms of capacity, selectivity and kinetics. A series of functionalized hierarchical porous frameworks were evaluated for their perrhenate removal capacity in the presence of other competing anions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation of xenon and krypton is of industrial and environmental concern; the existing technologies use cryogenic distillation. Thus, a cost-effective, alternative technology for the separation of Xe and Kr and their capture from air is of significant importance. Herein, we report the selective Xe uptake in a crystalline porous organic oligomeric molecule, noria, and its structural analogue, PgC-noria, under ambient conditions. The selectivity of noria towards Xe arises from its tailored pore size and small cavities, which allows a directed non-bonding interaction of Xe atoms with a large number of carbon atoms of the noria molecular wheel in a confined space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for Xe/Kr separation continues to grow due to the industrial significance of high-purity Xe gas. Current separation processes rely on energy intensive cryogenic distillation. Therefore, less energy intensive alternatives, such as physisorptive separation, using porous materials, are required. Herein we show that an underexplored class of porous materials called hybrid ultra-microporous materials (HUMs) affords new benchmark selectivity for Xe separation from Xe/Kr mixtures. The isostructural materials, CROFOUR- 1-Ni and CROFOUR-2-Ni, are coordination networks that have coordinatively saturated metal centers and two distinct types of micropores, one of which is lined by CrO4 2- (CROFOUR) anions and the other is decorated by the functionalized organic linker. These nets offer unprecedented selectivity towards Xe. Modelling indicates that the selectivity of these nets is tailored by synergy between the pore size and the strong electrostatics afforded by the CrO4 2- anions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the rapidly rising CO2 level, there is a constant need for versatile materials which can selectively adsorb CO2 at low cost. The quest for efficient sorptive materials is still on since the practical applications of conventional porous materials possess certain limitations. In that context, we designed, synthesized, and characterized two novel supramolecular organic frameworks based on C-pentylpyrogallol[4]arene (PgC5) with spacer molecules, such as 4,4′-bipyridine (bpy). Highly optimized and symmetric intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions between the main building blocks and comparatively weak van der Waals interactions between solvent molecules and PgC5 leads to the formation of robust extended frameworks, which withstand solvent evacuation from the crystal lattice. The evacuated framework shows excellent affinity for carbon dioxide over nitrogen and adsorbs ca. 3 wt % of CO2 at ambient temperature and pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of volatile radionuclides generated during used nuclear fuel reprocessing in the US is almost certain to be necessary for the licensing of a reprocessing facility in the US. Various control technologies have been developed, tested, or used over the past 50 years for control of volatile radionuclide emissions from used fuel reprocessing plants.The US DOE has sponsored, since 2009, an Off-gas Sigma Team to perform research and development focused on the most pressing volatile radionuclide control and immobilization problems. In this paper, we focus on the control requirements and methodologies for 85Kr and 129I. Numerous candidate technologies have been studied and developed at laboratory and pilot-plant scales in an effort to meet the need for high iodine control efficiency and to advance alternatives to cryogenic separations for krypton control. Several of these show promising results. Iodine decontamination factors as high as 105, iodine loading capacities, and other adsorption parameters including adsorption rates have been demonstrated under some conditions for both silver zeolite (AgZ) and Ag-functionalized aerogel. Sorbents, including an engineered form of AgZ and selected metal organic framework materials (MOFs), have been successfully demonstrated to capture Kr and Xe without the need for separations at cryogenic temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal-organic framework copper-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate (Cu-BTC) was evaluated for its ability to selectively interact with Lewis-base analytes by examining retention on gas-chromatographic columns packed with Chromosorb W HP that contained 3.0% SE-30 along with various loadings of Cu-BTC. Scanning electron microscopy images of the support material showed the characteristic Cu-BTC crystals embedded in the SE-30 coating on the diatomaceous support. The results indicated that the Cu-BTC-containing stationary phase had limited thermal stability (220°C) and strong general retention for analytes. Kováts index calculations showed selective retention (amounting to about 300 Kováts units) relative to n-alkanes for many small Lewis-base analytes on a column that contained 0.75% Cu-BTC compared with an SE-30 control. Short columns that contained lower loadings of Cu-BTC (0.10%) allowed elution of nitroaromatics; however, selectivity was not observed for aromatic compounds (including nitroaromatics) or nitroalkanes. Observed retention characteristics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient removal of heterocyclic organosulfur compounds from fuels can relieve increasingly serious environmental problems (e.g., gas exhaust contaminants triggering the formation of acid rain that can damage fragile ecological systems). Toward this end, novel metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs)‐based sorbent materials are designed and synthesized with distinct hard and soft metal building units, specifically {[Yb6Cu12(OH)4(PyC)12(H2O)36]·(NO3)14·xS}n (QUST‐81) and {[Yb4O(H2O)4Cu8(OH)8/3(PyC)8(HCOO)4]·(NO3)10/3·xS}n (QUST‐82), where H2PyC = 4‐Pyrazolecarboxylic acid. Exploiting the hard/soft duality, it is shown that the more stable QUST‐82 can preserve desulfurization efficiency in the presence of competing nitrogen‐containing contaminate. In addition, thermodynamically controlled single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SC–SC) phase transition is uncovered from QUST‐81 to QUST‐82, and in turn, mechanistic features are probed via X‐ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Thermodynamically controlled hetero‐metallic metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) are able to preserve the desulfurization efficiency in the presence of competing nitrogen contaminate. The preserved adsorption capacity for organosulfur is shown to originate from the dual hard/soft Lewis acid nature in the heterometallic MOF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Materials Selective separation of radioactive Xe from Kr has industrial and environmental impact. In their communication on page 12618 ff., P. K. Thallapally et al. demonstrate the selective Xe uptake in a crystalline porous organic oligomeric molecule, noria, under ambient conditions. Such selectivity towards Xe arises from the tailored pore size and small cavities of noria, which allows a directed non‐bonding interaction between Xe and carbon atoms of the host noria in a confined space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, 1,3,5-tris(2-cyano­ethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6(1 H,3 H,5 H)-trione, C12H12N6O3, forms a layered structure stabilized by C-H⋯O and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review: 150 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]