title: Functional mesoporous metal-organic frameworks for the capture of heavy metal ions and size-selective catalysis.
abstract: By using Zn(4)O(CO(2))(6) as secondary building units (SBUs) and two extended ligands containing amino functional groups, TATAB and BTATB (TATAB = 4,4',4''-s-triazine-1,3,5-triyltri-p-aminobenzoate and BTATB = 4,4',4''-(benzene-1,3,5-triyltris(azanediyl))tribenzoate), two isostructural mesoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with cavities up to 2.73 nm, designated as PCN-100 and PCN-101 (PCN represents porous coordination network), have been synthesized. N(2) sorption isotherms of both PCN-100 and -101 showed typical type IV behavior, indicating their mesoporous nature. The TATAB ligand that comprises PCN-100 was employed to capture heavy metal ions (Cd(II) and Hg(II)) by constructing complexes within the pores with a possible coordination mode similar to that found in aminopyridinato complexes. This reveals that mesoporous materials such as PCN-100 can be applied in the elimination of heavy metal ions from waste liquid. In addition, both PCNs-100 and -101 exhibit size-selective catalytic activity toward the Knoevenagel condensation reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77842, United States.
authors.forename: Qian-Rong
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Da-Qian
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sculley
authors.forename: Jian-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zheng-Bo
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hong-Cai
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Zhou