Final Report Summary - MULTIMOF (Multifunctional Metal-Organic Frameworks)
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a class of crystalline materials built up from the interconnection of organic linkers and metal nodes. The judicious choice of these organic and inorganic synthons and the control exerted on their spatial arrangement enables fine-tuning of their intrinsic porosity and accessible surface area. This controllable structure-to-function relationship, together with their extraordinary structural and chemical versatility, have resulted in the evaluation of these porous coordination polymers in applications such as gas storage and separation, heterogeneous catalysis, or sensing amongst others.
The development of open frameworks by introduction of biologically derived molecules as organic linkers is attracting particular attention nowadays. To date, the incorporation of amino acids or nucleobases has proven a valid route towards the design of bio-analogous MOFs. These hybrid biomaterials combine the intrinsic MOF characteristics with the metal-binding versatility, structural flexibility, homochirality, stereochemical selectivity or biological compatibility provided by the bio-backbone. In this context, the use of oligopeptides has recently led to unprecedented adaptable porosity of the host upon gas sorption in [Zn(GlyAla)2]. The flexibility of the peptide linker plays a key role in adapting the pore conformation as the multiple torsions available to polypeptide chains results in a wide distribution of combined torsional degrees of freedom, which permit the framework to adopt a wider energy landscape of thermally accessible conformations.
The development of open frameworks by introduction of biologically derived molecules as organic linkers is attracting particular attention nowadays. To date, the incorporation of amino acids or nucleobases has proven a valid route towards the design of bio-analogous MOFs. These hybrid biomaterials combine the intrinsic MOF characteristics with the metal-binding versatility, structural flexibility, homochirality, stereochemical selectivity or biological compatibility provided by the bio-backbone. In this context, the use of oligopeptides has recently led to unprecedented adaptable porosity of the host upon gas sorption in [Zn(GlyAla)2]. The flexibility of the peptide linker plays a key role in adapting the pore conformation as the multiple torsions available to polypeptide chains results in a wide distribution of combined torsional degrees of freedom, which permit the framework to adopt a wider energy landscape of thermally accessible conformations.
