title: Controlled partial interpenetration in metal-organic frameworks.
abstract: Interpenetration, the entwining of multiple lattices, is a common phenomenon in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Typically, in interpenetrated MOFs the sub-lattices are fully occupied. Here we report a family of MOFs in which one sub-lattice is fully occupied and the occupancy level of the other can be controlled during synthesis to produce frameworks with variable levels of partial interpenetration. We also report an 'autocatenation' process, a transformation of non-interpenetrated lattices into doubly interpenetrated frameworks via progressively higher degrees of interpenetration that involves no external reagents. Autocatenation maintains crystallinity and can be triggered either thermally or by shear forces. The ligand used to construct these MOFs is chiral, and both racemic and enantiopure partially interpenetrated frameworks can be accessed. X-ray diffraction, nonlinear optical microscopy and theoretical calculations offer insights into the structures and dynamic behaviour of these materials and the growth mechanisms of interpenetrated MOFs.
authors.affiliation: MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.affiliation: MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lujia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Stefanus J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Tapperwijn
authors.affiliation: MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perl
authors.affiliation: PSL Research University, Chimie ParisTech - CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, Paris 75005, France.
authors.forename: François-Xavier
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5318-3910
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Coudert
authors.affiliation: Molecular Visualisation and Photonics, University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Cleuvenbergen
authors.affiliation: Molecular Visualisation and Photonics, University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, Heverlee, Belgium.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Verbiest
authors.affiliation: Catalysis Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 136, Delft 2628 BL, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monique A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.affiliation: MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Shane G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1596-6652
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Telfer