The fluorescent Pb(II)–metal–organic nanotube, CD-MONT-2, which possesses a large {Pb14} metallamacrocycle, is synthesized by a modified biphasic liquid–solid–liquid (BLSL) strategy. This strategy takes advantage of solid cyclohexanol to avoid generation of by-products, and is suitable for producing CD-MONT-2 on a large scale. Importantly, water-stable CD-MONT-2 can be easily made into H2S test papers by coating a solution mixture of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and CD-MONT-2′ on glass plates, which have the characteristics of high efficiency, rapidity, and visualization based on its fluorescence “turn-off” response. The CD-MONT-2 based visual test papers can be used without pretreatment and possess excellent sensitivity and stability.

This work presents the construction of a porous lead-organic framework (UPC-10) with large channels of ∼24 Å. UPC-10 shows efficient adsorption of I2 and selective adsorption of some dyes containing the SO3− group. After the adsorption of dyes, UPC-10 exhibits a CO2 gas uptake ability. Furthermore, UPC-10 could be transformed into PbS in a H2S atmosphere, and the derived PbS manifests N2 and CO2 uptake abilities.

Two amino-functional copper metal–organic frameworks of formula [Cu3(ATTCA)2(H2O)3]·2DMF·11H2O·12EtOH (1) (H3ATTCA = 2-amino-[1,1:3,1-terphenyl]-4,4,5-tricarboxylic acid, pyz = pyrazine, DMF = dimethylformamide) and [Cu3(ATTCA)2(pyz)(H2O)]·2DMF·12H2O·8EtOH (2) were synthesized under solvothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analyses, and powder X-ray diffraction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that both complexes 1 and 2 are built of the Cu2(COO)4 paddlewheel secondary building units with an fmj topology. Importantly, complex 1 can be transformed into complex 2 by the single-crystal to single-crystal transformation of which the coordinated water molecules are replaced with pyz molecules. However, the adsorption abilities of 2 are obviously lower than those of 1, as its pores are partially blocked by pyz molecules. Moreover, gas-adsorption analysis showed that the amino-functional 1 possesses higher gas-adsorption capacity than UMCM-151 for N2, H2, CH4, and C2H2, especially for CO2.

A 3D non-interpenetrating porous metal–organic framework [Pb2(H2TCPP)]·4DMF·H2O (Pb-TCPP) (H6TCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetra(carboxyphenyl)porphyrin) was synthesized by employment of a robust porphyrin ligand. Pb-TCPP exhibits a one-dimensional channel possessing fairly good capability of gas sorption for N2, H2, Ar, and CO2 gases, and also features selectivity for CO2 over CH4 at 298 K. Furthermore, Pb-TCPP shows electrocatalytic activity for water oxidation in alkaline solution. It is the first 3D porous Pb-MOF that exhibits both gas adsorption properties and electrocatalytic activity for an oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Three rigid, linear ligands, namely 2′,5′-dimethyl-[1,1′:4′,1′′-terphenyl]-4,4′′-dicarboxylic acid (H2L1), triphenyl-6,6′-dicarboxylic acid (H2L2), and 2,2′-bipyridine-5,5′-dicarboxylic acid (H2L3), were used for constructing metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with Pb(II). With a similar nature of solvent conditions (DMF/EtOH, with different volumes' rates), four structurally diverse MOFs, namely, [Pb(L1)(DMF)] 1, [Pb(L1)(DMF)] 2, [Pb(L2)] 3, and [Pb3(L3)2(Cl−)2] 4, were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction measurements. As the numbers of the central benzene ring contained in the ligands changed from three to two, the length of the ligands varied from 15.64 Å to 10.89 Å, and steric functional groups endowed the three ligands with more variations, such as a 1D zigzag chain of 1, a 2D wave-like layer of 2, a 3D Pb–O–C-based layer of 3, and a 3D Pb–O–Cl-based chain of 4. Solid-state photoluminescence studies were carried out for all the complexes at room temperature.

Four metal–organic complexes [Ni(HET)(phen)(H2O)]·(HET)·H2O (1), [Cu(HET)(phen)(H2O)]·1.5H2O (2), [Cu2(HET)2(bipy)1.5(H2O)]·15DMF·2H2O (3), and [Cd2O(HET)2(bipy)(H2O)]·2H2O·EtOH (4) (HET = 1,4,5,6,7,7-hexachlorobicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine) have been synthesized via hydro- or solvothermal reactions. It was found that complexes 1 and 2 are two-dimensional (2D) structures built from discrete complexes via the typical intermolecular interactions, and there was a closed loop built from the lattice water and carboxylate groups in 1 through intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Complex 3 exhibits three-dimensional (3D) structure with 5-connected bnn hexagonal BN topology. Complex 4 features a non-interpenetrating sql 2D coordination network, which is further linked into a 3D structure by C–H···Cl weak interaction. The properties of magnetism, fluorescence, and electrochemistry have also been investigated in this paper.

Three new metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) constructed from terphenyl-3,3′′,5,5′′-tetracarboxylic acid (H4ptptc) and zinc nitrate, [Zn2(ptptc)(DMF)3]·4H2O·5.5DMF (1), [Zn2(ptptc)(DMA)(H2O)]·2.5H2O·3.5DMA (2) and [Zn(ptptc)0.5(H2O)]·DMF·DMA (3), have been obtained and characterized. All the complexes exhibit 3D 4-connected networks with different topologies involving diamond (dia, for 1), lonsdaleite (lon, for 2) and Nbo (for 3), which emanate from the different reaction solvents (DMF, DMA and mixture of DMF/DMA (1:1), respectively). The results of photoluminescence properties show that the three complexes can be act as potential luminescent probes or sensors for detecting small organic molecules and toxic substances.

•Alumina was synthesized via direct thermal treatment of Al-based MOFs MIL-96.•Alumina with hexagonal spindle-shaped morphology was obtained.•The textural properties of alumina can be modulated by thermal treatment condition.•The effect of thermal treatment conditions on the textural properties and formation mechanism were discussed.•The effect of textural properties and inner structure on the adsorption ability of alumina were investigated.Hexagonal spindle-shaped mesoporous alumina with different internal structures were prepared using Al-based metal-organic frameworks MIL-96 as precursor through thermal treatment method. MIL-96 and alumina products were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET and TG. Results from these characterizations showed that alumina products keep the morphology of their precursor, and the thermal treatment conditions have large effect on alumina microstructures. The state of atmosphere and heating rate are the main factors affecting the internal textural properties of alumina. A possible transformation mechanism was also proposed. In addition, the effect of textural properties and structure on the adsorption ability of alumina was investigated. This work presents a novel method, which builds a direct linkage between MOF crystals and metal oxide microstructures, to control the morphology, structure and performance of alumina and other metal oxide materials.Hexagonal spindle-shaped alumina with different textural properties, which significantly affect the adsorption ability of alumina, were synthesized via direct thermal treatment of Al-based MOFs MIL-96.

Two 3D noninterpenetrating porous metal–organic frameworks (PMOFs) [Cd3(L1)2(DMA)2]·DMA [1, H3L1 = tris(p-carboxylic acid)tridurylborane] and [Zn3(L2)3(H2O)2]·5H2O·2EtOH [2, H2L2 = 4,4′-((2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenyl)boranediyl)bis(2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzoic acid)] were synthesized by employment of a C3-symmetric ligand (H3L1) to assembly with Cd(NO3)2 or Zn(NO3)2. Complex 1 exhibits a (3, 6)-connected topological network based on a Cd3 cluster and Y-shaped trinodal organic linker. Complex 2 shows a 6-connected topology, since in situ decarboxylic reaction of the initial H3L1 occurred to generate a new ligand, H2L2, which can be considered as a linear linker. Both 1 and 2 exhibit blue fluorescence. Significantly, complex 1 with larger channels is unstable upon the removal of guest molecules. In contrast, activated 2 exhibits higher stability and permanent porosity.

Three 3D manganese-organic frameworks, Mn2(BPTC)(DMF)2(H2O)·DMF·3H2O (1), Mn2(BPTC)(bipy)(DMF)·DMF·H2O (2), and Mn2(BPTC)(phen)(DMF)·EtOH (3), have been solvothermally synthesized using 3,3′,5,5′-biphenyltetracarboxylic acid (H4BPTC). All complexes are characterized by PXRD, EA, IR and TG. The results show that they all bear the PtS topology with (42.84) (42.84) for the vertex symbols of the planar and tetrahedral nodes, in which the BPTC ligand is considered as a square-planar 4-connected linker, and every binuclear SBU connected to the four BPTC ligands is simplified into tetrahedral 4-connected nodes. Because the three coordination sites of one metal center of SBU are occupied by the coordinated solvent molecules, complex 1 exhibits low stability. After substituting 2,2′-bipy or 1,10-phen for two coordinated solvent molecules, complexes 2 and 3 display evidently higher structure stability. The magnetism property of complex 2 is also discussed in detail.

A 3D non-interpenetrating porous metal–organic framework [Pb2(H2TCPP)]·4DMF·H2O (Pb-TCPP) (H6TCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetra(carboxyphenyl)porphyrin) was synthesized by employment of a robust porphyrin ligand. Pb-TCPP exhibits a one-dimensional channel possessing fairly good capability of gas sorption for N2, H2, Ar, and CO2 gases, and also features selectivity for CO2 over CH4 at 298 K. Furthermore, Pb-TCPP shows electrocatalytic activity for water oxidation in alkaline solution. It is the first 3D porous Pb-MOF that exhibits both gas adsorption properties and electrocatalytic activity for an oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

This work presents the construction of a porous lead-organic framework (UPC-10) with large channels of ∼24 Å. UPC-10 shows efficient adsorption of I2 and selective adsorption of some dyes containing the SO3− group. After the adsorption of dyes, UPC-10 exhibits a CO2 gas uptake ability. Furthermore, UPC-10 could be transformed into PbS in a H2S atmosphere, and the derived PbS manifests N2 and CO2 uptake abilities.