Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Experimental Approaches for the Synthesis of Low-Valent Metal-Organic Frameworks from Multitopic Phosphine Linkers
Published on: May 12, 2023
Two- and three-dimensional cadmium-organic frameworks with trimesic acid and 4,4'-trimethylenedipyridine
Filipe A Almeida Paz1, Jacek Klinowski
1Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
Abstract:
Three novel cadmium-organic frameworks built-up from 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate anions (HXBTC(x-3)) and 4,4'-trimethylenedipyridine (TMD) have been hydrothermally synthesized, and characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermoanalytical measurements, elemental analysis, and IR and Raman spectroscopies: [Cd(HBTC)(TMD)(2)].8.5H(2)O (I), [Cd(HBTC)(TMD)(H(2)O)].4.5H(2)O (II), and [Cd(2)(BTC)(TMD)(2)(NO(3))].3H(2)O (III), with structures I and II being isolated as a mixture of crystals. Structure I contains an undulating infinite two-dimensional [Cd(HBTC)(TMD)(2)] framework, with a (4,4) topology and rectangular pores, ca. 3.4 x 11.0 A in cross-section, distributed in a herringbone manner. The crystal structure of I is obtained by parallel packing of this 2D framework in an [ABAB.] fashion. Compound II has a porous 3D diamondoid framework with channels running in several directions of the unit cell, which allows 2-fold interpenetration to occur. The most prominent channels are distributed in a brick-wall fashion along the c axis and have a cross-section of ca. 3.2 x 13.2 A. Structure III can be seen as the three-dimensional assembly of binuclear secondary building units (SBU), which leads to a compact, neutral, and coordinatively bonded eight-connected framework, [Cd(2)(BTC)(TMD)(2)(NO(3))], exhibiting an unusual 3(6)4(22) topology. The increased flexibility of the TMD ligands (brought about by the three methylene groups between the two 4-pyridyl rings) can lead, for the same reactive system, to a large variety of crystal architectures.
Related Concept Videos
Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: Structural Overview
Removing one hydrogen from the intervening CH2 group with both...
Coordination Number and Geometry
Structure of Cadherins
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
Radicals: Electronic Structure and Geometry
Accordingly, the structure of a trivalent radical lies between the geometries of carbocations and carbanions. An sp2-hybridized carbocation is trigonal planar, while an sp3-hybridized carbanion is trigonal pyramidal. Here, the difference in geometry is...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...

