Design of MOFs with Absolute Structures: A Case Study

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with absolute structures are of particular interest as the asymmetry their crystal enables wide applications from asymmetric catalysis to enantioselective separation. Previous reports on synthetic strategies toward MOFs always required use chiral precursors or templates, however, it is not easy obtain enantiopure starting materials. Here in, we report a new non-centrosymmetric MOF, MOF-829, synthesized aluminium salt and achiral organic linker. Further comparisons made between MOF-829 reported Al-based MOF (MOF-520) that composed same metal ion linker, similarly without using compounds. The configurations building units, both MOFs, topologies were investigated in detail. We found (i) topology one determining factors formation MOFs; (ii) further requires directionality linkers but more importantly secondary units (SBUs), which can be realized by fine tuning conditions. envision exploration SBUs design will open direction structures.