Bismuth metal–organic frameworks and coordination
polymers
(CP) are challenging to synthesize, given the poor solubility of bismuth
precursors and asymmetric and labile ligation of Bi
3+
due
to its intrinsic lone pair. Here, we synthesize and structurally characterize
three Bi
3+
-CPs, exploiting a tetrafluoroterephtalate (F
4
BDC) linker to determine the effect of high acidity on these
synthesis and coordination challenges. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction
characterization showed that pi–pi stacking of linkers directs
framework arrangement and generally deters open porosity in the three
structures, respectively featuring Bi chains (
Bi
chain
-F
4
BDC
), Bi dimers (
Bi
2
-F
4
BDC
) linked into chains,
and Bi tetramers (
Bi
4
-F
4
BDC
). Powder X-ray diffraction
and microscopic imaging show the high purity and stability of these
compounds in water. Naphthalenedisulfonate (NDS) was used as a mineralizer
in the synthesis of (
Bi
chain
-F
4
BDC
) and (
Bi
4
-F
4
BDC
), and studies of its role in assembly pathways yielded
two additional structures featuring mixed NDS and F
4
BDC,
respectively, linking monomer and octamer Bi nodes, and confirmed
that F
4
BDC is the preferred (less labile) linker. Methylene
blue (MB) adsorption studies show differing efficacies of the three
Bi-F
4
BDC phases, attributed to surface characteristics
of the preferential growth facets, while generally most effective
adsorption is attributed to the hydrophobicity of fluorinated ligands.
Finally, thermogravimetric analysis of all three Bi-F
4
BDC
phases indicates simultaneous ligand degradation and in situ formation
of volatile Bi compounds, which could be exploited in the chemical
vapor deposition of Bi-containing thin films.