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Strategic Secondary Ligand Selection for Enhanced Pore-Type Construction and Water Purification Capacity in Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

Dr. Zheao Huang recently developed a highly selective ligand removal (SeLiRe) strategy to construct novel pore-type and ligand-defective structures in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and focused on the effect of secondary ligands with different functional groups for this process.

methylene blue adsorption and pore size

Dr. Zheao Huang synthesized versions of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 with six different secondary ligands and comprehensively investigated their pore-type structures after SeLiRe treatment. Their pore volume, size and distribution are closely related to the respective organic functional groups on the secondary ligands. Dr. Zheao Huang showed that, NH2-functionalized ligands tend to form larger domains and have weaker Zn−Nβ covalent bonds, which facilitate the removal process and the construction of larger cavities. This work highlights the crucial role of the secondary ligand for the SeLiRe strategy and provides valuable insights for designing other hierarchical porous hybrid structures.

 

The paper was recently published Open Access in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and can be assessed through the following link: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c21221, opens an external URL in a new window