Showing papers by "Cameron J. Kepert published in 2016"

Hysteretic Four‐Step Spin Crossover within a Three‐Dimensional Porous Hofmann‐like Material

Abstract: Materials that display multiple stepped spin crossover (SCO) transitions with accompanying hysteresis present the opportunity for ternary, quaternary, and quinary electronic switching and data storage but are rare in existence. Herein, we present the first report of a four-step hysteretic SCO framework. Single-crystal structure analysis of a porous 3D Hofmann-like material showed long-range ordering of spin states: HS, HS0.67LS0.33, HS0.5LS0.5, HS0.33LS0.67, and LS. These detailed structural studies provide insight into how multistep SCO materials can be rationally designed through control of host–host and host–guest interactions.

Extreme compressibility in LnFe(CN)6 coordination framework materials via molecular gears and torsion springs.

Abstract: The mechanical flexibility of coordination frameworks can lead to a range of highly anomalous structural behaviours. Here, we demonstrate the extreme compressibility of the LnFe(CN)6 frameworks (Ln = Ho, Lu or Y), which reversibly compress by 20% in volume under the relatively low pressure of 1 GPa, one of the largest known pressure responses for any crystalline material. We delineate in detail the mechanism for this high compressibility, where the LnN6 units act like torsion springs synchronized by rigid Fe(CN)6 units performing the role of gears. The materials also show significant negative linear compressibility via a cam-like effect. The torsional mechanism is fundamentally distinct from the deformation mechanisms prevalent in other flexible solids and relies on competition between locally unstable metal coordination geometries and the constraints of the framework connectivity, a discovery that has implications for the strategic design of new materials with exceptional mechanical properties.

Exploiting Pressure To Induce a “Guest-Blocked” Spin Transition in a Framework Material

Abstract: A new functionalized 1,2,4-triazole ligand, 4-[(E)-2-(5-methyl-2-thienyl)vinyl]-1,2,4-triazole (thiome), was prepared to assess the broad applicability of strategically producing multistep spin transitions in two-dimensional Hofmann-type materials of the type [FeIIPd(CN)4(R-1,2,4-trz)2]·nH2O (R-1,2,4-trz = a 4-functionalized 1,2,4-triazole ligand). A variety of structural and magnetic investigations on the resultant framework material [FeIIPd(CN)4(thiome)2]·2H2O (A·2H2O) reveal that a high-spin (HS) to low-spin (LS) transition is inhibited in A·2H2O due to a combination of guest and ligand steric bulk effects. The water molecules can be reversibly removed with retention of the porous host framework and result in the emergence of an abrupt and hysteretic one-step spin transition due to the removal of guest internal pressure. A spin transition can, furthermore, be induced in A·2H2O (0–0.68 GPa) under hydrostatic pressure, as evidenced by variable-pressure structure and magnetic studies, resulting in a two-s...

Commensurate CO2 Capture, and Shape Selectivity for HCCH over H2CCH2, in Zigzag Channels of a Robust CuI(CN)(L) Metal–Organic Framework

Abstract: A novel copper(I) metal–organic framework (MOF), {[CuI2(py-pzpypz)2(μ-CN)2]·MeCN}n (1·MeCN), with an unusual topology is shown to be robust, retaining crystallinity during desolvation to give 1, which has also been structurally characterized [py-pzpypz is 4-(4-pyridyl)-2,5-dipyrazylpyridine)]. Zigzag-shaped channels, which in 1·MeCN were occupied by disordered MeCN molecules, run along the c axis of 1, resulting in a significant solvent-accessible void space (9.6% of the unit cell volume). These tight zigzags, bordered by (CuICN)n chains, make 1 an ideal candidate for investigations into shape-based selectivity. MOF 1 shows a moderate enthalpy of adsorption for binding CO2 (−32 kJ mol–1 at moderate loadings), which results in a good selectivity for CO2 over N2 of 4.8:1 under real-world operating conditions of a 15:85 CO2/N2 mixture at 1 bar. Furthermore, 1 was investigated for shape-based selectivity of small hydrocarbons, revealing preferential uptake of linear acetylene gas over ethylene and methane, pa...

Structure and Magnetic Properties of the Spin Crossover Linear Trinuclear Complex [Fe3(furtrz)6(ptol)2(MeOH)4]·4(ptol)·4(MeOH) (furtrz: furanylidene-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-amine ptol: p-tolylsulfonate)

Abstract: The furan-functionalised 1,2,4-triazole ligand furanylidene-4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-amine (furtrz) has been incorporated into the trinuclear complex Fe3(furtrz)6(ptol)2(MeOH)4]·4(ptol)·4(MeOH) (ptol = p-tolylsulfonate) composed of μ1,2-triazole bridges between iron(II) sites, as per one-dimensional chain materials, and terminally coordinated ptol anions and methanol molecules. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a gradual single-step spin crossover (SCO) behavior of one third of the iron(II) sites per trinuclear unit. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction below the transition (90 K) shows the central iron(II) sites undergo a HS to LS transition and the peripheral ones remain HS (HS = high spin; LS = low spin). This is a rare example of a cationic trinuclear SCO material where the discrete unit includes bound anions.

Flexible Yttrium Coordination Geometry Inhibits "Bare-Metal" Guest Interactions in the Metal-Organic Framework Y(btc)

Abstract: Y(btc) (btc = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) is a metal-organic framework that exhibits significant adsorption of industrially-relevant gases such as H2, CH4, and O2. Previous studies have noted a surprising lack of close interactions between the adsorbed guest molecules and Y, despite the apparent availability of a “bare-metal” binding site. We have extended our previous work in a detailed investigation of the adsorption behaviours of CO2, CD4, and O2 in Y(btc) over a range of concentrations using in situ neutron powder diffraction methods. The O–Y–O bond angles enclosing the bare-metal site are found to change considerably depending on the type and quantity of guest molecules present. Multiple binding sites are found for each guest species, and the largest changes in O–Y–O angles are accompanied by changes in the filling sequences of the binding sites, pointing to an important interplay between guest-induced framework distortions and binding site accessibility. These results suggest the potential for coordinatively flexible rare-earth metal centres to promote guest-selective binding in metal-organic frameworks.