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Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Experimental Approaches for the Synthesis of Low-Valent Metal-Organic Frameworks from Multitopic Phosphine Linkers
Published on: May 12, 2023
Molecular Vises for Precisely Positioning Ligands near Catalytic Metal Centers in Metal-Organic Frameworks
Wei Yan1, Shenhui Li2, Tao Yang3
1Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Abstract:
We report the construction of a molecular vise by pairing a tritopic phenylphosphorus(III) linker and a monotopic linker in opposite positions within a metal-organic framework. The angle between these linkers at metal sites is fixed upon changing the functionality in the monotopic linker, while the distance between them is precisely tuned. This distance within the molecular vise is accurately measured by 1H-31P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This unveils the impact of the distance on catalytic performance without interference from electrostatic effects or changes in the angle of the ligand, which is unprecedented in classic organometallic complexes.
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