Structural Investigation into Magnesium Based MOFs Derived from Aliphatic Linkers

Abstract

Lightweight metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with large volume storage capabilities are highly sought after as solid adsorbents in gas storage applications. This is particularly important for hydrogen gas adsorbents and can be explored through constructing MOFs from magnesium, which is a light metal and can readily form lightweight frameworks. Recently, the use of bulky, 3D aliphatic linkers in MOF synthesis has resulted in materials with higher gas adsorption enthalpies at lower pressures. Here, we employ both aliphatic linkers and magnesium clusters to produce lightweight, aliphatic frameworks with potential use for gas adsorption applications. Two magnesium MOFs were synthesised, 3DL-MOF-2 and 3DL-MOF-3 (3DL = 3DLinker), and structurally investigated using single crystal X-ray diffraction. While these MOFs do not have any accessible void spaces and therefore cannot be used for gas adsorption, they create a platform for future magnesium aliphatic MOF research to form open frameworks.