Modulation of Topological Structures and Adsorption Properties of Copper-Tricarboxylate Frameworks Enabled by the Effect of the Functional Group and Its Position

To push forward the structural development and fully explore the potential utility, it is highly desired but challenging to regulate in a controllable manner the structures and properties of MOFs. In this work, we reported the structural and functional modulation of Cu­(II)-tricarboxylate frameworks by employing a strategy of engineering the functionalities and their positions. Two pairs of unsymmetrical biaryl tricarboxylate ligands modified with a methyl group and a pyridinic-N atom at distinct positions were logically designed and synthesized, and their corresponding Cu­(II)-based MOFs were solvothermally constructed. Diffraction analyses revealed that the variation of functionalities and their positions furnished three different types of topological structures, which we ascribed to the steric effect exerted by the methyl group and the chelating effect involving the pyridinic-N atom. Furthermore, gas adsorption studies showed that three of them are potential candidates as solid separation media for acetylene (C2H2) purification, with the separation potential tailorable by altering functionalities and their locations. At 106.7 kPa and 298 K, the C2H2 uptake capacity varies from 64.1 to 132.4 cm3 (STP) g–1, while the adsorption selectivities of C2H2 over its coexisting components of CO2 and CH4 fall in the ranges of 3.28–4.60 and 14.1–21.9, respectively.