Complexity in Order: High-Porosity Multicomponent Metal-Organic Frameworks for Clean Energy Gas Storage

The development of high-performance adsorbent materials offers a promising method for the efficient storage of clean energy gas to achieve a carbon-neutral energy cycle. Herein, we report reticular synthesis of high-porosity and structurally robust metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)─tsn-MOF-1 with the (3,6,9)-connected tsn net─from the precise assembly of 9-connected metal μ₃-oxo-centered trinuclear nodes, 6-connected trigonal prismatic peripherally extended triptycene carboxylate ligands, and 3-connected triangular pyridine-based ligands in a geometry- and size-matching manner. The tsn-MOF-1-Fe₃ maintains high porosity under common solvent activation conditions, exhibiting a high apparent Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 5100 m² g^-1 and an experimental pore volume of 2.11 cm³ g^-1. As a result, this MOF displays a good methane working capacity of 365.4 cm³ cm^-3 (0.688 g g^-1) under a combined temperature and pressure swing condition (159 K/6 bar → 298 K/5 bar) and shows respectable potential for low-temperature methane storage. Moreover, the tsn-MOF-1-Fe₃ shows a hydrogen-deliverable capacity of 48.6 g L^-1 (11.3 wt %) under a related swing condition (77 K/100 bar → 159 K/5 bar). This geometry-directed strategy allows the precise design and synthesis of high-connectivity and high-porosity multicomponent reticular structures with robust pore structures for the storage of clean energy gases.