A breathing zirconium metal-organic framework with reversible loss of crystallinity by correlated nanodomain formation

B. Bueken, F. Vermoortele, M.J. Cliffe, M.T. Wharmby, D. Foucher, J. Wieme, L. Vanduyfhuys, C. Martineau, N. Stock, F. Taulelle, V. Van Speybroeck, A.L. Goodwin, D. De Vos
Chemistry - A European Journal
2016, 22, 1-5
2016
A1

Abstract 

The isoreticular analogue of the metal–organic framework UiO-66(Zr), synthesized with the flexible trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid as linker, shows a peculiar breathing behavior by reversibly losing long-range crystalline order upon evacuation. The underlying flexibility is attributed to a concerted conformational contraction of up to two thirds of the linkers, which breaks the local lattice symmetry. X-ray scattering data are described well by a nanodomain model in which differently oriented tetragonal-type distortions propagate over about 7–10 unit cells.