Metal-organic framework materials comprising a diimine scaffold and methods for production thereof

Abstract

Metal-organic framework materials (MOFs) are highly porous entities comprising a multidentate organic ligand coordinated to multiple metal centers, typically as a coordination polymer. Crystallization may be problematic in some instances when secondary binding sites are present in the multidentate organic ligand. Multidentate organic ligands comprising first and second binding sites bridged together with a third binding site comprising a diimine moiety may alleviate these issues, particularly when using a preformed metal cluster as a metal source to form a MOF. Such MOFs may comprise a plurality of metal centers, and a multidentate organic ligand coordinated to the plurality of metal centers to define an at least partially crystalline network structure having a plurality of internal pores, and in which the multidentate organic ligand comprises first and second binding sites bridged together with a third binding site comprising a diimine moiety. Particular MOFs may comprise N,N'-di(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)ethane-1,2-diimine as a multidentate organic ligand.