Selected Negative Linear Compressibilities in the Metal-Organic Framework of [Cu(4,4'-bpy)₂(H₂O)₂]·SiF₆

Negative linear compressibility (NLC) is a rare high-pressure observation that lattice contraction is accompanied by the structural expansion along a specific direction. Generally, this counterintuitive phenomenon only derives from the intrinsic structural characteristics of materials and cannot be tuned by external perturbations. Searching for an effective method to control NLC effect is still a challenge in both chemical and material science. Here, we successfully discover and select the NLC behaviors in the metal-organic framework (MOF) of [Cu(4,4'-bpy)₂(H₂O)₂]·SiF₆ (Cu(bpy)·SiF) through controlling the pressure conditions therein. The NLC effect of Cu(bpy)·SiF originates from the wine-rack mechanism that quasi-square grids transfer to rhombic ones with the structural expansion along the diagonal direction at high pressure. Meanwhile, both of the pressure range and magnitude of the NLC responses are enlarged with optimized pressure conditions. This study not only presents the intriguing selected NLC behaviors of a MOF but also proves the effects of pressure conditions on NLC, which offers promising strategies for further design and applications of NLC materials.