A Flexible Microporous Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for Gas Sorption and Separation

A microporous three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF-5) has been constructed from a new organic linker 4,4',4″,4‴-tetra(2,4-diamino-1,3,5-triazin-6-yl)tetraphenylethene. Activated HOF-5a exhibits a stepwise N2 adsorption isotherm at 77 K, suggesting framework flexibility. The structure of activated HOF-5a has been established by powder X-ray diffraction studies, indicating a significant framework contraction from as-synthesized HOF-5 to activated HOF-5a of ∼21% by volume. HOF-5a shows moderately high porosity with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 1101 m(2)/g, and takes up a large amount of acetylene and carbon dioxide under ambient conditions. Powder neutron diffraction studies and theoretical calculations reveal that suitable pore sizes, curvatures, and functional sites collectively enable HOF-5a to encapsulate a high density of carbon dioxide molecules packed in a pseudo-one-dimensional array along the pore channel.