Shaping Solid-State Supramolecular Cavities: Chemically Induced Accordionlike Movement of gamma-Zirconium Phosphate Containing Polyethylenoxide Pillars.
The hydrophilic oxygen atoms of polyethylenoxide chains inserted as pillars in gamma-zirconium phosphate form hydrogen bonds with the acid groups of the host. As a result the pillars are almost perpendicular to the gamma layers. Upon changing the pH level of the supernatant solution the hydrogen bonds are broken and the pillars become almost perpendicular to the layers (shown schematically). Thus there is a reversible enlargement-shortening of the interlayer space.
Alberti
G
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, I-06123 Perugia (Italy).
Brunet
E
Dionigi
C
Juanes
O
de La Mata MJ
Rodríguez-Ubis
JC
Vivani
R