Visualizing Structural Transformation and Guest Binding in a Flexible Metal–Organic Framework under High Pressure and Room Temperature

Authors

Hui Yang, University of South Florida
Feng Guo, University of South Florida
Prem Lama, University of Stellenbosch
Wen-Yang Gao, Texas A&M University
Hui Wu, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Leonard J. Barbour, University of Stellenbosch
Wei Zhou, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Jian Zhang, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter
Briana Aguila, University of South Florida
Shengqian Ma, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.8b00378

Abstract

Understanding the effect of gas molecules on the framework structures upon gas sorption in porous materials is highly desirable for the development of gas storage and separation technologies. However, this remains challenging for flexible metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) which feature “gate-opening/gate-closing” or “breathing” sorption behaviors under external stimuli. Herein, we report such a flexible Cd-MOF that exhibits “gating effect” upon CO2 sorption. The ability of the desolvated flexible Cd-MOF to retain crystal singularity under high pressure enables the direct visualization of the reversible closed-/open-pore states before and after the structural transformation as induced by CO2 adsorption/desorption through in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The binding sites of CO2 molecules within the flexible MOF under high pressure and room temperature have also been identified via combined in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction and powder X-ray diffraction studies, facilitating the elucidation of the states observed during gate-opening/gate-closing behaviors. Our work therefore lays a foundation to understand the high-pressure gas sorption within flexible MOFs at ambient temperature, which will help to improve the design efforts of new flexible MOFs for applications in responsive gas sorption and separation.

Rights Information

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

ACS Central Science, v. 4, issue 9, p. 1194-1200

This is an open access article published under an ACS AuthorChoice License, which permits copying and redistribution of the article or any adaptations for non-commercial purposes.

Scholar Commons Citation

Yang, Hui; Guo, Feng; Lama, Prem; Gao, Wen-Yang; Wu, Hui; Barbour, Leonard J.; Zhou, Wei; Zhang, Jian; Aguila, Briana; and Ma, Shengqian, "Visualizing Structural Transformation and Guest Binding in a Flexible Metal–Organic Framework under High Pressure and Room Temperature" (2018). Chemistry Faculty Publications. 111.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/chm_facpub/111