Single-Crystal Dynamic Covalent Organic Frameworks for Adaptive Guest Alignments

Dynamic 3D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have shown a concerted structural transformation upon adaptive guest inclusion. However, the origin of the conformational mobility and the host-guest adaptivity remain conjecture of the pedal motions of revolving imine linkages, often without considering the steric hindrance from the interwoven frameworks. Here, we present atomic-level observation of the rotational and translational dynamics in single-crystal COF-300 upon adaptive guest inclusion of various organic molecules, featuring multiple rotamers of covalent linkages and switchable interframework noncovalent interactions. Specifically, we developed a diffusion gradient transimination protocol to facilitate the growth of COF single crystals, enabling a high-resolution X-ray diffraction structural analysis. We uncovered metastable and low-symmetry intermediate phases from contracted to expanded phases during structural evolution. We identified torsion angles in the terephthalaldehyde diimine motifs that switch from anti-periplanar to syn-periplanar/anticlinal conformations. Moreover, the rotational dynamics of the imine linkage were concurrent with the translational dynamics of tetraphenylmethane units, which tend to form the translational quadruple phenyl embrace. Such conformational mobility allows the frameworks to adapt to various guest molecules, such as alcohols, esters, phenols, and diols, featuring double linear, herringbone, zigzag chains, triple helix, and tubular alignments. Quantitative energy analyses revealed that such dynamic structure transformations are not arbitrary but follow specific pathways that resemble protein folding. The work is paving the way to developing robust, dynamic, and crystalline molecular sponges for studying the condensed structure of liquids without the need for further crystallization.