Multiple single-crystal-to-single-crystal guest exchange in a dynamic 1D coordination polymer

Area of Science:

• Materials Chemistry
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Crystallography

Background:

• Coordination polymers are materials with diverse applications.
• Dynamic frameworks that respond to external stimuli are of significant interest.
• Controlling framework dimensions upon guest molecule interaction is a key challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel 1D coordination polymer with dynamic structural responses.
• To investigate the material's interaction with volatile small chlorinated molecules.
• To demonstrate the robustness and reusability of the framework.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a 1D coordination polymer.
• Exposure to vapors of 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), dichloromethane (DCM), and trichloromethane (TCM).
• Characterization using (1)H-NMR and X-ray diffraction for single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation analysis.

Main Results:

• The coordination polymer dynamically expands or shrinks upon uptake of chlorinated solvent vapors.
• The material exhibits robust single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations upon multiple guest exchanges.
• A guest-free host framework, stable up to 400 K, was successfully obtained as a single crystal.

Conclusions:

• A novel dynamic 1D coordination polymer responsive to chlorinated volatile organic compounds has been developed.
• The framework's ability to undergo reversible structural changes demonstrates potential for molecular recognition and separation applications.
• The demonstrated robustness and recoverability highlight the material's practical utility.