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Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Development of Heterogeneous Enantioselective Catalysts using Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks MOFs
Published on: January 17, 2020
Photoswitching chiroptical response in camphorate-based chiral metal-organic frameworks
Katelyn M Clutterbuck1, Hunter J Windsor1, Deanna M D'Alessandro2
1School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia. girish.lakhwani@sydney.edu.au.
Abstract:
Photoswitchable chiral materials are highly sought for various applications, including sensing, nonlinear optics, and liquid-crystalline devices. However, the origin and control of switching have not been well studied. Here, we report two chiral naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based Metal Organic Framework (MOF) materials, [Zn4(cam)4(DPNDI)2]·3DMF (Zn-MOF) (cam2- = camphorate, DPNDI = N,N'-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxydiimide) and [Cd4(cam)4(DPNDI)4]·3EtOH·5DMF (Cd-MOF) that undergo a photoinduced reduction of the NDI cores. Delocalisation of the generated mixed-valence state in Cd-MOF stabilises the radical state and alters its response in comparison to Zn-MOF. The photoinduced reduction reveals a reversible change in the sign of the circular dichroism spectrum of Cd-MOF. These materials show promise in understanding and controlling chiroptical materials for next-generation devices.
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