The proton conductivities of the porous coordination polymers M(OH)(bdc-R) [H(2)bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid; M = Al, Fe; R = H, NH(2), OH, (COOH)(2)] were investigated under humid conditions. Good correlations among pK(a), proton conductivity, and activation energy were observed. Fe(OH)(bdc-(COOH)(2)), having carboxy group and the lowest pK(a), showed the highest proton conductivity and the lowest activation energy in this system. This is the first example in which proton conductivity has been widely controlled by substitution of ligand functional groups in an isostructural series.

We controlled the hydrophilicity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to achieve high proton conductivity and high adsorption of water under low humidity conditions, by employing novel class of MOFs, {NR(3)(CH(2)COOH)}[MCr(ox)(3)]·nH(2)O (abbreviated as R-MCr, where R = Me (methyl), Et (ethyl), or Bu (n-butyl), and M = Mn or Fe): Me-FeCr, Et-MnCr, Bu-MnCr, and Bu-FeCr. The cationic components have a carboxyl group that functions as the proton carrier. The hydrophilicity of the cationic ions was tuned by the NR(3) residue to decrease with increasing bulkiness of the residue: {NMe(3)(CH(2)COOH)}(+) > {NEt(3)(CH(2)COOH)}(+) > {NBu(3)(CH(2)COOH)}(+). The proton conduction of the MOFs increased with increasing hydrophilicity of the cationic ions. The most hydrophilic sample, Me-FeCr, adsorbed a large number of water molecules and showed a high proton conductivity of ~10(-4) S cm(-1), even at a low humidity of 65% relative humidity (RH), at ambient temperature. Notably, this is the highest conductivity among the previously reported proton-conducting MOFs that operate under low RH conditions.

The oxalate-bridged bimetallic complexes {NH(prol)(3)}[M(II)Cr(III)(ox)(3)] (M(II) = Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II)) with hydrophilic tri(3-hydroxypropyl)ammonium (NH(prol)(3)(+)) were prepared by a new synthetic procedure, and the effects of the NH(prol)(3)(+) ion upon the structure, magnetism, and electrical conduction were studied. An X-ray crystallographic study of the MnCr dihydrate, {NH(prol)(3)}[MnCr(ox)(3)].2H(2)O, was performed. Crystal data: hexagonal, P6(3), a = b = 9.3808(14) A, c = 15.8006(14) A, Z = 2. The structure comprises oxalate-bridged bimetallic layers interleaved by NH(prol)(3)(+) ions. The ions assume a tripodal configuration and are hydrogen bonded to the bimetallic layers together with water molecules, giving rise to a short interlayer separation (7.90 A) and unsymmetrical faces to the bimetallic layer. Cryomagnetic studies demonstrate ferromagnetic ordering with transition temperature of 5.5 K for the MnCr complex, 9.0 K for the FeCr complex, and 10.0 K for the CoCr complex. The interlayer magnetic interaction is negligibly weak in all of the complexes despite the short interlayer separation. A slow magnetization is observed in all the complexes. This is explained by spin canting associated with the unsymmetrical feature of the bimetallic layer. The complexes show proton conduction of 1.2 x 10(-10) to 4.4 x 10(-10) S cm(-1) under 40% relative humidity (RH) and approximately 1 x 10(-4) S cm(-1) under 75% RH. On the basis of water adsorption/desorption profiles, the conduction under 40% RH is mediated through the hydrogen-bonded network formed by the bimetallic layer, NH(prol)(3)(+) ions, and water molecules (two per MCr). Under 75% RH, additional water molecules (three per MCr) are concerned with the high proton conduction. This is the first example of a metal complex system exhibiting coexistent ferromagnetism and proton conduction.