Defects In Metal-organic Frameworks Research Articles

Probing Structural Defects in MOFs Using Water Stability.

Defects in the crystal structures of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), whether present intrinsically or introduced via so-called defect engineering, can play strong roles in the properties of MOFs for various applications. Unfortunately, direct experimental detection and characterization of defects in MOFs are very challenging. We show that in many cases, the differences between experimentally observed and computationally predicted water stabilities of MOFs can be used to deduce information on the presence of point defects in real materials. Most computational studies of MOFs consider these materials to be defect-free, and in many cases, the resulting structures are predicted to be hydrophobic. Systematic experimental studies, however, have shown that many MOFs are hydrophilic. We show that the existence of chemically plausible point defects can often account for this discrepancy and use this observation in combination with detailed molecular simulations to assess the impact of local defects and flexibility in a variety of MOFs for which defects had not been considered previously.

Radiation-Induced De Novo Defects in Metal-Organic Frameworks Boost CO2 Sorption.

Defects in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can significantly change their local microstructures, thus notably leading to an alteration-induced performance in sorption or catalysis. However, achieving de novo defect engineering in MOFs under ambient conditions without the scarification of their crystallinity remains a challenge. Herein, we successfully synthesize defective ZIF-7 through 60Co gamma ray radiation under ambient conditions. The obtained ZIF-7 is defect-rich but also has excellent crystallinity, enhanced BET surface area, and hierarchical pore structure. Moreover, the amount and structure of these defects within ZIF-7 were determined from the two-dimensional (2D) 13C-1H frequency-switched Lee-Goldburg heteronuclear correlation (FSLG-HETCOR) spectra, continuous rotation electron diffraction (cRED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Interestingly, the defects in ZIF-7 all strongly bind to CO2, leading to a remarkable enhancement of the CO2 sorption capability compared with that synthesized by the solvothermal method.

Efficient Generation of Large Collections of Metal-Organic Framework Structures Containing Well-Defined Point Defects.

High-throughput molecular simulations of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a useful complement to experiments to identify candidates for chemical separation and storage. All previous efforts of this kind have used simulations in which MOFs are approximated as defect-free. We introduce a tool to readily generate missing-linker defects in MOFs and demonstrate this tool with a collection of 507 defective MOFs. We introduce the concept of the maximum possible defect concentration; at higher defect concentrations, deviations from the defect-free crystal structure would be readily evident experimentally. We studied the impact of defects on molecular adsorption as a function of defect concentrations. Defects have a slightly negative or negligible influence on adsorption at low pressures for ethene, ethane, and CO2 but a strong positive influence for methanol due to hydrogen bonding with defects. Defective structures tend to have loadings slightly higher than those of defect-free structures for all adsorbates at elevated pressures.

Solvent-derived defects suppress adsorption in MOF-74

Defects in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have great impact on their nano-scale structure and physiochemical properties. However, isolated defects are easily concealed when the frameworks are interrogated by typical characterization methods. In this work, we unveil the presence of solvent-derived formate defects in MOF-74, an important class of MOFs with open metal sites. With multi-dimensional solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) investigations, we uncover the ligand substitution role of formate and its chemical origin from decomposed N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent. The placement and coordination structure of formate defects are determined by 13C NMR and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The extra metal-oxygen bonds with formates partially eliminate open metal sites and lead to a quantitative decrease of N2 and CO2 adsorption with respect to the defect concentration. In-situ NMR analysis and molecular simulations of CO2 dynamics elaborate the adsorption mechanisms in defective MOF-74. Our study establishes comprehensive strategies to search, elucidate and manipulate defects in MOFs.

First-principle study on the lattice-directed missing linker defect in zirconium based metal-organic framework (MOF-801): Electronic properties and interaction with hydrogen

The nature of defects in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) due to missing linker has been studied using first-principle approach based on periodic density functional theory (DFT). MOF-801 as zirconium-based MOFs is investigated in this study due to its densely packed structure where a zirconium node is coordinated with twelve fumarate ligands. In this study, the missing linker defect was formed by removing fumarate ligand in each lattice direction and the energy is compared. The removal of one fumarate ligand in each lattice direction seems to have relatively homogenous energy distribution with small energy differences when the defect sites are capped with formate HCOO- (FA), chloride (Cl-), hydroxide (OH-) ions, OH- plus H2O and Cl- plus H2O according to the HSE06 calculations. The electronic properties of defective MOF-801 have shown that removing a fumarate ligand decreases the bandgap energy by small fraction which can be further identified from the density of states. The application of defective MOF-801 was also tested for hydrogen adsorption. The adsorption energy indicates that the presence of defect might increase the affinity of MOF-801 for hydrogen storage in certain binding sites. This study shows further understanding about the nature of defect due to missing linker in densely packed MOF-801 and its prospect for hydrogen storage.

Elucidating correlated defects in metal organic frameworks using theory-guided inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopy.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) that incorporate metal oxide cluster nodes, exemplified by UiO-66, have been widely studied, especially in terms of their deviations from the ideal, defect-free crystalline structures. Although defects such as missing linkers, missing nodes, and the presence of adventitious synthesis-derived node ligands (such as acetates and formates) have been proposed, their exact structures remain unknown. Previously, it was demonstrated that defects are correlated and span multiple unit cells. The highly specialized techniques used in these studies are not easily applicable to other MOFs. Thus, there is a need to develop new experimental and computational approaches to understand the structure and properties of defects in a wider variety of MOFs. Here, we show how low-frequency phonon modes measured by inelastic neutron scattering (INS) spectroscopy can be combined with density functional theory (DFT) simulations to provide unprecedented insights into the defect structure of UiO-66. We are able to identify and assign peaks in the fingerprint region (<100 cm-1) which correspond to phonon modes only present in certain defective topologies. Specifically, this analysis suggests that our sample of UiO-66 consists of predominantly defect-free fcu regions with smaller domains corresponding to a defective bcu topology with 4 and 2 acetate ligands bound to the Zr6O8 nodes. Importantly, the INS/DFT approach provides detailed structural insights (e.g., relative positions and numbers of acetate ligands) that are not accessible with microscopy-based techniques. The quantitative agreement between DFT simulations and the experimental INS spectrum combined with the relative simplicity of sample preparation, suggests that this methodology may become part of the standard and preferred protocol for the characterization of MOFs, and, in particular, for elucidating the structure defects in these materials.

Defect engineering of Metal-Organic Framework for highly efficient hydrodeoxygenation of lignin derivates in water

Designing highly active catalysts for selective hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived oxygenates into well-defined compounds is of great importance for realizing high-value utilization of lignin. Defect engineering in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is an emerging concept for tailoring MOF properties, which might be a promising strategy in the synthesis of high-performance catalysts. Herein, we developed a facile synthetic strategy by adding trifluoroacetic acid as the modulator to prepare a bifunctional catalyst (Pd/NH2-MIL-53-d) consisting of Pd nanoparticles highly dispersed on defective NH2-MIL-53(Al). Characterizations, including TEM, XRD, IR, XPS and NH3-TPD, were employed to reveal the morphology and physicochemical properties of the catalysts. Results indicated that the introduction of defects leads to the generation of coordinatively unsaturated metal sites, which can act as anchor points for high-dispersion of Pd nanoparticles and as additional active acid sites for catalytic reactions. 100% conversion of vanillin and other 8 representative derivates of lignin into their decarbonyl products with yields over 99% has been achieved under mild conditions in the water. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the HDO of vanillin into 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol mainly underwent a cascade of hydrogenation-hydrogenolysis routes, and the synergistic interaction between Pd and defective NH2-MIL-53(Al) facilitated the novel bifunctional catalyst to exhibit outstanding catalytic performance. No apparent deactivation of the catalyst was noticed after it was reused 5 times. Therefore, engineering of defects in MOFs holds enormous potential in designing novel bifunctional catalysts for lignin valorization.

Molecular identification and quantification of defect sites in metal-organic frameworks with NMR probe molecules

The defects in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can dramatically alter their pore structure and chemical properties. However, it has been a great challenge to characterize the molecular structure of defects, especially when the defects are distributed irregularly in the lattice. In this work, we applied a characterization strategy based on solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to assess the chemistry of defects. This strategy takes advantage of the coordination-sensitive phosphorus probe molecules, e.g., trimethylphosphine (TMP) and trimethylphosphine oxide (TMPO), that can distinguish the subtle differences in the acidity of defects. A variety of local chemical environments have been identified in defective and ideal MOF lattices. The geometric dimension of defects can also be evaluated by using the homologs of probe molecules with different sizes. In addition, our method provides a reliable way to quantify the density of defect sites, which comes together with the molecular details of local pore environments. The comprehensive solid-state NMR strategy can be of great value for a better understanding of MOF structures and for guiding the design of MOFs with desired catalytic or adsorption properties.

Defect-engineered metal-organic framework with enhanced photoreduction activity toward uranium extraction from seawater

Photoreduction conversion of soluble U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) is considered a promising strategy for uranium capture from radioactive wastewater and seawater. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as potential photocatalysts due to their inherent large surface areas, tunable cavities, and tailorable photo response. Herein, the electronic structure of UiO-66-NH2 (Zr-MOF) is modulated by missing-linker defects and node metal substitution, allowing for the reduced energy needed to transfer the excited linker’s electrons to the node’s unoccupied d orbitals, which contributes to enhanced photocatalytic uranium extraction capacity. Moreover, the missing-linker defects create more open frameworks, which facilitate fast diffusion of uranyl ions (UO22+) into inner pores and hence increase utilization of the hidden adsorption binding sites. Consequently, light-irradiated Zr/Ti-MOF-25 delivers a high uranium sorption capacity (8.66 ± 0.29 mg-U/g-Ads) with excellent antimicrobial ability in natural seawater. Creation of defects in MOFs opens novel opportunities for enhancing uranium capture through combined complexation and photoreduction.

Missing‐Linker‐Assisted Artesunate Delivery by Metal–Organic Frameworks for Synergistic Cancer Treatment

AbstractClinical translation of artesunate (ATS) as a potent antitumor drug has been obstructed by its rapid degradation and low bioavailability. Herein, we report the development of an ATS nanomedicine through the self‐assembly with Mn[Co(CN)6]2/3□1/3 metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that have hidden missing linkers. The defects in MOFs originating from the missing linkers play a key role in increasing the biological stability and tumor accumulation of ATS. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and ATS can be co‐loaded into MOFs for a synergistic antitumor efficacy. In the presence of intracellular HCO3−, Mn2+ acts as an efficient catalyst to promote the bicarbonate‐activated H2O2 system which oxidizes ATS to generate reactive oxygen species and induce oxidative death to cancer cells. The released [CoIII(CN)6] linker undergoes a redox reaction with intracellular glutathione to prevent the scavenging ability of reactive oxygen species, contributing to synergistic chemodynamic therapy of ATS and photodynamic therapy of Ce6. Thus, defect‐engineered MOFs with hidden missing linkers hold great promise in advancing the practical use of ATS as an antitumor medicine.

Missing-Linker-Assisted Artesunate Delivery by Metal-Organic Frameworks for Synergistic Cancer Treatment.

Clinical translation of artesunate (ATS) as a potent antitumor drug has been obstructed by its rapid degradation and low bioavailability. Herein, we report the development of an ATS nanomedicine through the self-assembly with Mn[Co(CN)6 ]2/3 □1/3 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have hidden missing linkers. The defects in MOFs originating from the missing linkers play a key role in increasing the biological stability and tumor accumulation of ATS. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and ATS can be co-loaded into MOFs for a synergistic antitumor efficacy. In the presence of intracellular HCO3- , Mn2+ acts as an efficient catalyst to promote the bicarbonate-activated H2 O2 system which oxidizes ATS to generate reactive oxygen species and induce oxidative death to cancer cells. The released [CoIII (CN)6 ] linker undergoes a redox reaction with intracellular glutathione to prevent the scavenging ability of reactive oxygen species, contributing to synergistic chemodynamic therapy of ATS and photodynamic therapy of Ce6. Thus, defect-engineered MOFs with hidden missing linkers hold great promise in advancing the practical use of ATS as an antitumor medicine.

Disclosing the Role of Defect‐Engineered Metal–Organic Frameworks in Mixed Matrix Membranes for Efficient CO2 Separation: A Joint Experimental‐Computational Exploration

AbstractIncorporation of defects in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) offers new opportunities for manipulating their microporosity and functionalities. The so‐called “defect engineering” has great potential to tailor the mass transport properties in MOF/polymer mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for challenging separation applications, for example, CO2 capture. This study first investigates the impact of MOF defects on the membrane properties of the resultant MOF/polymer MMMs for CO2 separation. Highly porous defect‐engineered UiO‐66 nanoparticles are successfully synthesized and incorporated into a CO2‐philic crosslinked poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) matrix. A thorough joint experimental/simulation characterization reveals that defect‐engineered UiO‐66/PEGDA MMMs exhibit nearly identical filler–matrix interfacial properties regardless of the defect concentrations of their parental UiO‐66 filler. In addition, non‐equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations in tandem with gas transport studies disclose that the defects in MOFs provide the MMMs with ultrafast transport pathways mainly governed by diffusivity selectivity. Ultimately, MMMs containing the most defective UiO‐66 show the most enhanced CO2/N2 separation performance—CO2 permeability = 470 Barrer (four times higher than pure PEGDA) and maintains CO2/N2 selectivity = 41—which overcomes the trade‐off limitation in pure polymers. The results emphasize that defect engineering in MOFs would mark a new milestone for the future development of optimized MMMs.

Spatio-Chemical Heterogeneity of Defect-Engineered Metal-Organic Framework Crystals Revealed by Full-Field Tomographic X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy.

The introduction of structural defects in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), often achieved through the fractional use of defective linkers, is emerging as a means to refine the properties of existing MOFs. These linkers, missing coordination fragments, create unsaturated framework nodes that may alter the properties of the MOF. A property-targeted utilization of this approach demands an understanding of the structure of the defect-engineered MOF. We demonstrate that full-field X-ray absorption near-edge structure computed tomography can help to improve our understanding. This was demonstrated by visualizing the chemical heterogeneity found in defect-engineered HKUST-1 MOF crystals. A non-uniform incorporation and zonation of the defective linker was discovered, leading to the presence of clusters of a second coordination polymer within HKUST-1. The former is suggested to be responsible, in part, for altered MOF properties; thereby, advocating for a spatio-chemically resolved characterization of MOFs.

Defect-Assisted Loading and Docking Conformations of Pharmaceuticals in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Understanding of drug-carrier interactions is essential for the design and application of metal-organic framework (MOF)-based drug-delivery systems, and such drug-carrier interactions can be fundamentally different for MOFs with or without defects. Herein, we reveal that the defects in MOFs play a key role in the loading of many pharmaceuticals with phosphate or phosphonate groups. The host-guest interaction is dominated by the Coulombic attraction between phosphate/phosphonate groups and defect sites, and it strongly enhances the loading capacity. For similar molecules without a phosphate/phosphonate group or for MOFs without defects, the loading capacity is greatly reduced. We employed solid-state NMR spectroscopy and molecular simulations to elucidate the drug-carrier interaction mechanisms. Through a synergistic combination of experimental and theoretical analyses, the docking conformations of pharmaceuticals at the defects were revealed.

Defect‐Assisted Loading and Docking Conformations of Pharmaceuticals in Metal–Organic Frameworks

AbstractUnderstanding of drug–carrier interactions is essential for the design and application of metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based drug‐delivery systems, and such drug–carrier interactions can be fundamentally different for MOFs with or without defects. Herein, we reveal that the defects in MOFs play a key role in the loading of many pharmaceuticals with phosphate or phosphonate groups. The host–guest interaction is dominated by the Coulombic attraction between phosphate/phosphonate groups and defect sites, and it strongly enhances the loading capacity. For similar molecules without a phosphate/phosphonate group or for MOFs without defects, the loading capacity is greatly reduced. We employed solid‐state NMR spectroscopy and molecular simulations to elucidate the drug–carrier interaction mechanisms. Through a synergistic combination of experimental and theoretical analyses, the docking conformations of pharmaceuticals at the defects were revealed.

The Role of Defects in Metal–Organic Frameworks for Nitrogen Reduction Reaction: When Defects Switch to Features

AbstractThe electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), a contributor for producing ammonia under mild conditions sustainably, has recently attracted global research attention. Thus far, the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts to enhance NRR efficiency is a specific focus of the research. Among them, defect engineering of electrocatalysts is considered a significant way to improve electrocatalytic efficiency by regulating the electronic state and providing more active sites that can give electrocatalysts better physicochemical properties. Recently, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), along with their derivatives, have captured immense interest in electrocatalytic reactions owing to not only their large surface area and high porosity but also the ability to create rich defects in their structures. Hence, they can provide plenty of exposed active sites for electron transfer, NN cleavage, and N2 adsorption to enhance NRR performance. Herein, the concept, the in situ characterizations techniques for defects, and the most common ways to create defects into MOFs have been summarized. Furthermore, the recent advances of MOF‐based electrocatalysts towards NRR have been recapitulated. Ultimately, the major challenges and outlook of defects in MOFs for NRR are proposed. This paper is anticipated to provide critical guidelines for optimizing NRR electrocatalysts.

Synthesis and environmental applications of defective metal organic frameworks

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are attracting increasing attention in the field of pollution control due to their inherent characteristics, such as high porosity, large specific surface areas, and tunable structure and composition. Though more than 20000 kinds of MOFs structures have been reported so far, the majority of them are regular and composed of different kinds of building units. Defect engineering in MOFs is an exciting concept for tailoring material properties, which opens up novel opportunities in practical application. Defects are usually present in MOFs, which would alter the performance of MOFs by changing surface properties, pore structure, and the number of active sites. Since defects can enhance the performance of MOFs in adsorption and catalytic degradation of pollutants, various methods for designing and generating defects have been employed. Based on selected reports spanning the last decades, this review focuses on the most recent and significant developments in the classification of defects in MOFs and methods of introducing defects into MOFs. According to the composition of MOFs, defects can be divided into missing-linkers defect and missing-clusters defect. The main methods of introducing defects into MOFs include de novo synthesis and post-synthetic treatment. De novo synthesis method includes mixed linker approach, modulation approach and fast crystal growth approach. Post-synthetic treatment method involves acid/base treatment approach, harsh activation approach, solvent-assisted linker exchange and mechanical treatment approach. The use of defective MOFs as adsorbent and catalyst in pollutant removal is also highlighted. Because single physical-chemical characterization has its limitations, researchers adopt various techniques to characterize the existence and concentration of defects, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), etc. Reasonable defects could be controlled by adjusting the synthesis conditions in an attempt to obtain MOFs with excellent performance in adsorption and catalysis. At the hand of adsorption, the adsorption of pollutants in water and gases onto defective MOFs is mainly affected by pore distribution, specific surface area and surface charge. The introduction of missing-linkers defect or missing-clusters defect would make the regular pore structure into locally disordered structure, and create new micropores, mesopores even macropores. Thereby, the pore volume and specific surface area of MOFs are increased, and then enhancing the adsorption performance. In view of photocatalysis, introducing defects into photo-responsive MOFs can not only promote the transfer of photo-generated electrons, but also inhibit electron-hole recombination, and even optimize the energy band structure, which synergistically results in the improvement of photocatalytic performance. From the perspective of chemical catalysis, the pores formed by missing-linkers defect or missing-clusters defect in MOFs would expose the interior surface, which creates additional catalytic sites for pollutants reaching, and then enhances the catalysis performance of MOFs. In short, defective MOFs have a wide range of applications in the fields of adsorption and catalysis. After summarizing the recent progress of the field, the advantages and shortcomings of present defective MOFs in pollution control are presented. On the basis of this, it is apparent that further deepening the basic theoretical study of defective MOFs will be helpful for its wide applications. The defect engineering of MOFs is beneficial for further industrialization. Finally, some potential research topics in construction of defects in MOFs for environmental application have also been proposed in the review.

Formation of structural defects within UiO-66(Zr)-(OH)2 framework for enhanced CO2 adsorption using a microwave-assisted continuous-flow tubular reactor

Tuning defects of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) can greatly influence their performances in guest adsorption. The generation of defects in MOFs is mostly controlled under the conventional batch-heating methods, which usually cost energy and time. Herein, structural defects were rapidly constructed within dihydroxyl-functionalized UiO-66(Zr) MOF (UiO-66(Zr)-(OH)2) via an exchange reaction between a modulator molecule and bridging linker in a microwave-assisted continuous-flow tubular reactor. The linker deficiency per secondary building unit ranged from 0.60 to 2.30 upon changing the modulator concentration. The porosity and CO2 adsorption ability of the defective UiO-66(Zr)-(OH)2 adsorbent were strongly influenced by the defect concentration. The obtained results indicated that the structure-modified UiO-66(Zr)-(OH)2 containing a moderate linker deficiency amount of ~1.29 exhibited the maximum CO2 uptake amount and ideal adsorbed solution theory–predicted CO2/N2 selectivity of ~6.23 mmol g−1 and 118 (at 25 °C and 100 kPa), respectively, exceeding those of the conventionally prepared counterpart and benchmark CO2 adsorbents.

Machine Learning-Driven Insights into Defects of Zirconium Metal–Organic Frameworks for Enhanced Ethane–Ethylene Separation

Structural defects in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have the potential to yield desirable properties that could not be achieved by “defect-free” crystals, but previous works in this area have focused on limited versions of defects due to the difficulty of detecting defects in MOFs. In this work, a modeling library containing 425 defective UiO-66 (UiO-66-Ds) with a comprehensive population (in terms of concentration and distribution) of missing-linker defects was created. Taking ethane–ethylene separation as a case study, we demonstrated that machine learning could provide data-driven insight into how the defects control the performance of UiO-66-Ds in adsorption, separation, and mechanical stability. We found that the missing-linker ratio in real materials could be predicted from the gravimetric surface area and pore volume, making it a useful complement for the challenges of directly measuring the defect concentration. We further identified the “privileged” UiO-66-Ds that were optimal in overall properties and provided decision trees as guidance to access and design these top performers. This work offers a general strategy for fully exploring the defects in MOFs, providing long-term opportunities for the development of defect engineering in the adsorption community.

Integration of mesopores and crystal defects in metal-organic frameworks via templated electrosynthesis

Incorporation of mesopores and active sites into metal-organic framework (MOF) materials to uncover new efficient catalysts is a highly desirable but challenging task. We report the first example of a mesoporous MOF obtained by templated electrosynthesis using an ionic liquid as both electrolyte and template. The mesoporous Cu(II)-MOF MFM-100 has been synthesised in 100 seconds at room temperature, and this material incorporates crystal defects with uncoupled Cu(II) centres as evidenced by confocal fluorescence microscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. MFM-100 prepared in this way shows exceptional catalytic activity for the aerobic oxidation of alcohols to produce aldehydes in near quantitative yield and selectivity under mild conditions, as well as having excellent stability and reusability over repeated cycles. The catalyst-substrate binding interactions have been probed by inelastic neutron scattering. This study offers a simple strategy to create mesopores and active sites simultaneously via electrochemical formation of crystal defects to promote efficient catalysis using MOFs.