We report here a new class of ammonium metal-formate frameworks of [NH 2 NH 3 ][M(HCOO) 3 ] (M = Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ , Co 2+ and Mg 2+ ) incorporating hydrazinium as the cationic template and component.The perovskite Mn and Zn members possess anionic 4 12•6 3 metal-formate frameworks with cubic cavities occupied by the NH 2 NH 3 + cations, while the Co and Mg members have chiral 4 9 •6 6 metal-formate frameworks, with chiral hexagonal channels accommodating NH 2 NH 3 + cations. On heating, the Mn and Zn members undergo phase transitions around 350 K. The structures change from low temperature (LT) polar phases in Pna2 1 to high temperature (HT) non-polar phases in Pnma, due to the thermally activated librational movement of the NH 2 end of the NH 2 NH 3 + in the cavity and significant framework regulation.The Co and Mg members in LT belong to non-polar P2 1 2 1 2 1 , are probably antiferroelectric, and they show phase transitions at 380 K (Co) and 348 K (Mg), and the structures change to polar HT phases in P6 3 , triggered by the order-disorder transition of the cation from one unique orientation in LT to three of trigonally-disorder state in HT. Accompanying the phase transitions, which are ferro-to para-electric for Mn and Zn members while antiferro-to ferro-electric for Co and Mg, prominent anisotropic thermal expansions including negative ones, and dielectric anomalies, are observed. The spontaneous polarization values are estimated at 3.58 (Mn, 110 K), 3.48 (Zn, 110 K), 2.61 (Co, 405 K) and 3.44 (Mg, 400 K) μC cm −2 , respectively, based on the positive and negative charge separations in the polar structures. The structureproperty relevance is established based on the order-disorder transitions of NH 2 NH 3 + and the conformity and adaptability of the metal-formate frameworks to match such order-disorder alternations. The Mn and Co members show spin-canted antiferromagnetic long-range-ordering, with Néel temperatures of 7.9 K and 13.9 K, respectively. Therefore, the two members show coexistence of electric and magnetic orderings in the low temperature region, and they are possible molecule-based multiferroics.

High-silica zeolites have been found to be effective adsorbents for the removal of organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) from impaired water, including various pharmaceuticals, personal care products, industrial chemicals, etc. In this review, the properties and fundamentals of high-silica zeolites are summarised. Recent research on mechanisms and efficiencies of OMP adsorption by high-silica zeolites are reviewed to assess the potential opportunities and challenges for the application of high-silica zeolites for OMP adsorption in water treatment. It is concluded that the adsorption capacities are well-related to surface hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity and structural features, e.g. micropore volume and pore size of high-silica zeolites, as well as the properties of OMPs. By using high-silica zeolites, the undesired competitive adsorption of background organic matter (BOM) in natural water could potentially be prevented. In addition, oxidative regeneration could be applied on-site to restore the adsorption capacity of zeolites for OMPs and prevent the toxic residues from re-entering the environment.

We present three Mg-formate frameworks, incorporating three different ammoniums: [NH4][Mg(HCOO)3] (1), [CH3CH2NH3][Mg(HCOO)3] (2) and [NH3(CH2)4NH3][Mg2(HCOO)6] (3). They display structural phase transitions accompanied by prominent dielectric anomalies and anisotropic and negative thermal expansion. The temperature-dependent structures, covering the whole temperature region in which the phase transitions occur, reveal detailed structural changes, and structure-property relationships are established. Compound 1 is a chiral Mg-formate framework with the NH4(+) cations located in the channels. Above 255 K, the NH4(+) cation vibrates quickly between two positions of shallow energy minima. Below 255 K, the cations undergo two steps of freezing of their vibrations, caused by the different inner profiles of the channels, producing non-compensated antipolarization. These lead to significant negative thermal expansion and a relaxor-like dielectric response. In perovskite 2, the orthorhombic phase below 374 K possesses ordered CH3CH2NH3(+) cations in the cubic cavities of the Mg-formate framework. Above 374 K, the structure becomes trigonal, with trigonally disordered cations, and above 426 K, another phase transition occurs and the cation changes to a two-fold disordered state. The two transitions are accompanied by prominent dielectric anomalies and negative and positive thermal expansion, contributing to the large regulation of the framework coupled the order-disorder transition of CH3CH2NH3(+). For niccolite 3, the gradually enhanced flipping movement of the middle ethylene of [NH3(CH2)4NH3](2+) in the elongated framework cavity finally leads to the phase transition with a critical temperature of 412 K, and the trigonally disordered cations and relevant framework change, providing the basis for the very strong dielectric dispersion, high dielectric constant (comparable to inorganic oxides), and large negative thermal expansion. The spontaneous polarizations for the low-temperature polar phases are 1.15, 3.43 and 1.51 μC cm(-2) for 1, 2 and 3, respectively, as estimated by the shifts of the cations related to the anionic frameworks. Thermal and variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction studies confirm the phase transitions, and the materials are all found to be thermally stable up to 470 K.