We report the synthesis, structural characterization, and functionality (framework interconversions together with proton conductivity) of an open-framework hybrid that combines Ca(2+) ions and the rigid polyfunctional ligand 5-(dihydroxyphosphoryl)isophthalic acid (PiPhtA). Ca2[(HO3PC6H3COOH)2]2[(HO3PC6H3(COO)2H)(H2O)2]·5H2O (Ca-PiPhtA-I) is obtained by slow crystallization at ambient conditions from acidic (pH ≈ 3) aqueous solutions. It possesses a high water content (both Ca coordinated and in the lattice), and importantly, it exhibits water-filled 1D channels. At 75 °C, Ca-PiPhtA-I is partially dehydrated and exhibits a crystalline diffraction pattern that can be indexed in a monoclinic cell with parameters close to the pristine phase. Rietveld refinement was carried out for the sample heated at 75 °C, Ca-PiPhtA-II, using synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction data, which revealed the molecular formula Ca2[(HO3PC6H3COOH)2]2[(HO3PC6H3(COO)2H)(H2O)2]. All connectivity modes of the "parent" Ca-PiPhtA-I framework are retained in Ca-PiPhtA-II. Upon Ca-PiPhtA-I exposure to ammonia vapors (28% aqueous NH3) a new derivative is obtained (Ca-PiPhtA-NH3) containing 7 NH3 and 16 H2O molecules according to elemental and thermal analyses. Ca-PiPhtA-NH3 exhibits a complex X-ray diffraction pattern with peaks at 15.3 and 13.0 Å that suggest partial breaking and transformation of the parent pillared structure. Although detailed structural identification of Ca-PiPhtA-NH3 was not possible, due in part to nonequilibrium adsorption conditions and the lack of crystallinity, FT-IR spectra and DTA-TG analysis indicate profound structural changes compared to the pristine Ca-PiPhtA-I. At 98% RH and T = 24 °C, proton conductivity, σ, for Ca-PiPhtA-I is 5.7 × 10(-4) S·cm(-1). It increases to 1.3 × 10(-3) S·cm(-1) upon activation by preheating the sample at 40 °C for 2 h followed by water equilibration at room temperature under controlled conditions. Ca-PiPhtA-NH3 exhibits the highest proton conductivity, 6.6 × 10(-3) S·cm(-1), measured at 98% RH and T = 24 °C. Activation energies (Ea) for proton transfer in the above-mentioned frameworks range between 0.23 and 0.4 eV, typical of a Grothuss mechanism of proton conduction. These results underline the importance of internal H-bonding networks that, in turn, determine conductivity properties of hybrid materials. It is highlighted that new proton transfer pathways may be created by means of cavity "derivatization" with selected guest molecules resulting in improved proton conductivity.

Straightforward path to curved graphene molecules: distorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons including heptagon moieties are obtained from simple precursors.

The chemistry of metal phosphonates has been progressing fast with the addition of new materials that possess novel structural features and new properties, occasionally in a cooperative manner. In this paper, we report a new family of functional lanthanide-carboxyphosphonate materials. Specifically, the lanthanide is La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, or Dy and the carboxyphosphonate ligand is 2-hydroxyphosphonoacetic acid ( H 3 H P A ) . A l l r e p o r t e d L n H P A c o m p o u n d s , Ln 3 (H 0.75 O 3 PCHOHCOO) 4 •xH 2 O (x = 15−16), crystallize in the orthorhombic system. Two types of structures were isolated: series I and II polymorphs. For both series, the three-dimensional (3D) open frameworks result from the linkage of similar organo-inorganic layers, in the ac-plane, by central lanthanide cations, which yield trimeric units also found in other metal-HPA hybrids. Large oval-shaped 1D channels are formed by the spatial separation of the layers along the b-axis and filled with lattice water molecules. LnHPA materials undergo remarkable crystalline-to-amorphous-to crystalline transformations upon dehydration and rehydration cycles, as confirmed by thermodiffraction and NMR spectroscopy. The highest proton conductivity was observed for GdHPA (series II), 3.2 × 10 −4 S cm −1 at 98% RH and T = 21°C. The dehydration−rehydration chemistry was also followed by photoluminescence spectroscopy. It was shown that loss and reuptake of water molecules are accompanied by clear changes in the photoluminescence spectra and lifetimes of the Eu analog (series II). Our present results reveal a wide family of wellcharacterized, multifunctional lanthanide-based phosphonate 3D-structured metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) that show reversible crystalline-to-amorphous-to-crystalline transformations and, at the same time, exhibit high proton conductivity.

Metal-bisphosphonates are self-sacrificial controlled delivery systems that achieve ultra-long release of anti-osteoporotic bisphosphonate drugs.

Materials with surfaces that can be switched from high/superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity are useful for myriad applications. Herein, we report a metal-organic framework (MOF) assembled from Zn ions, 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, and a hydrophobic carborane-based linker. The MOF crystal-surface can be switched between hydrophobic and superhydrophilic through a chemical treatment to remove some of the building blocks.