Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated
potential
for CO2 capture and conversion, which are of great importance
to alleviate current global environmental problems. Considering that
MOFs with large pores are not conducive to adsorption under atmospheric
environments, it is critical to control MOF materials with suitable
pore sizes and catalytic sites to facilitate CO2 adsorption
and fixation. Based on this, cage space partition (CSP), a new strategy
to precisely regulate the pore sizes of MOFs, is proposed herein.
The feasibility of the CSP strategy is demonstrated in an extra-large
metal–organic cage ([M60(BTC)24], M =
Co or Ni, BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate), which connects adjacent
small cages ([M12(BTC)12]) to form a parent
skeleton. For the first CSP process, four typical pyridine-based triangular
ligands (TPT, 2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine) are symmetrically
inserted into the M60-cage via open metal sites, which
transfer the parent skeleton into a novel CSP-MOF (SNNU-337). Furthermore,
two larger tri-pyridine ligands (TPHAP, 2,5,8-tri(40-pyridyl)-1,3,4,6,7,9-hexaazaphenalene)
are involved to fulfill the second CSP process through residue open
metal sites distributed on the inner cage surface, which lead to another
isostructural CSP-MOF material (SNNU-338). Oriented by the continuous
π–π interactions, the trapped TPT and TPHAP partitioners
are divided into two groups, which finally divided the whole large
pore into seven small sections. Benefiting from the two-step CSP process,
the low-pressure CO2 adsorption capacity of MOFs is remarkably
enhanced. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations clearly indicate
that the introduction of partition agents successfully regulates the
internal aperture of the cage and thus enhances the interactions between
the MOF skeleton and CO2 molecules. Moreover, the synergistic
effects of CSP in large M60-cages and open metal sites
in M12-cages make SNNU-337/338 MOFs excellent catalysts
to catalyze CO2 cycloaddition with various epoxides.