A novel 4(4) square grid microporous metal-organic framework (MOF) JUC-110 with 1D open channels has been synthesized, which shows exceptional hydrothermal stability and capability for separating alcohols from water in gas chromatographic (GC) separation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a rapidly growing class of hybrid materials with many multifunctional properties. The permanent porosity plays a central role in the functional properties. In particular, the luminescent MOFs with a permanent porosity have wide applications in guest species recognition and adsorption. In this contribution, we aim to develop tunable colors and white-light luminescence materials by the encapsulation of Ln(3+) species in microporous luminescent MOFs. A semi-rigid trivalent carboxylic acid 1,3,5-tri(4-carboxyphenoxy)benzene (H3TCPB) was selected as the organic building block, not only because it is suitable to construct microporous frameworks, but also by reason of its blue luminescent emission. Under solvothermal reactions, a microporous MOF material, [Zn3(TCPB)2(H2O)2]·2H2O·4DMF (JUC-113, JUC = Jilin University, China), was synthesized, which has a permanent porosity and emits blue light. According to three-primary colors, the guest luminescent species should be Tb(3+) and Eu(3+) owing to their distinctive colors (Tb(3+), green; Eu(3+), red). In addition, the luminescent properties of JUC-113 can be easily tuned by different combinations of the encapsulation amount of Tb(3+) and Eu(3+), obtaining white-light emission materials.

Through the optimization of synthesis conditions, we obtained large Cu 3 (BTC) 2 crystals with the diameter of 2~4 mm. Such large crystals could be utilized as "chromatographic columns" for effective separation of organic dyes such as thionine (TH) and Pyronin B (PB). It was found that the concentration of hydrion was the key factor to get the large pure crystals. This strategy could be used to grow other hydrophilic MOFs.

Two non-interpenetrated and isomorphous MOFs with nia topology, cationic JUC-101 and anionic JUC-102, are synthesized by connecting a trigonal prismatic metal cluster with an octahedral organic ligand. JUC-101 obtains a BET surface area of 3742 m(2) g(-1) and can absorb 4.18 wt% of H2 at 30 atm and 77 K, while JUC-102 can absorb cationic dye molecules and release them under the triggering of ions.