Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
11:27
Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks
Published on: September 5, 2014
48.1K
Synthesis and structural characterization of a single-crystal to single-crystal transformable coordination polymer
Yuyang Tian1, Phoebe K Allan, Catherine L Renouf
1EaStChem School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, Purdie Building, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK. rem1@st-and.ac.uk.
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)
|November 23, 2013
Summary
A novel coordination polymer transforms from single crystal to single crystal. This structural change is achieved using a ligand with varied coordinating strengths, confirmed by X-ray analysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Crystallography
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Coordination polymers (CPs) are attractive materials due to their tunable structures and diverse applications.
- Single-crystal to single-crystal (SC-SC) transformations in CPs are highly sought after for dynamic material applications.
- Designing ligands that control structural flexibility is key to achieving reversible transformations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a novel coordination polymer capable of single-crystal to single-crystal transformation.
- To investigate the role of ligand design in inducing structural rearrangement.
- To characterize the distinct hydrated and dehydrated phases of the coordination polymer.
Main Methods:
- Hydrothermal synthesis was employed to obtain single crystals of the coordination polymer.
- A specifically designed ligand featuring both strong and weaker coordinating groups was utilized.
- Single crystal X-ray diffraction was used to determine the structures of both the hydrated and dehydrated forms.
Main Results:
- A coordination polymer exhibiting reversible single-crystal to single-crystal transformation was successfully synthesized.
- The structural transformation was directly correlated to the presence of both strong and weak coordinating sites on the ligand.
- Detailed structural analysis revealed distinct arrangements in the hydrated and dehydrated states, confirming the transformation.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates the successful design and synthesis of a transformable coordination polymer.
- Ligand engineering is a viable strategy for controlling the dynamic behavior of coordination polymers.
- The characterized hydrated and dehydrated structures provide fundamental insights into the mechanism of SC-SC transformation in these materials.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Polymer Classification: Crystallinity
3.1K
Unlike ionic or small covalent molecules, polymers do not form crystalline solids due to the diffusion limitations of their long-chain structures. However, polymers contain microscopic crystalline domains separated by amorphous domains.
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
Crystalline domains are the regions where polymer chains are aligned in an orderly manner and held together in proximity by intermolecular forces. For example, chains in the crystalline domains of polyethylene and nylon are bound together by van der Waals...
3.1K
02:34Structural Isomerism
16.9K
Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly,...
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly,...
16.9K
01:17Ziegler–Natta Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
2.3K
Ziegler–Natta polymerization is another form of addition or chain‐growth polymerization used for synthesizing linear polymers over branched polymers. The catalyst used for polymerization is the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, named after Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, who developed it in 1953. This catalyst is an organometallic complex of titanium tetrachloride and triethyl aluminum, with the active form of the catalyst being an alkyl titanium compound. Using the Ziegler–Natta...
2.3K
02:52Stereoisomerism
11.1K
Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
11.1K