Collective Breathing in an Eightfold Interpenetrated Metal-Organic Framework: From Mechanistic Understanding towards Threshold Sensing Architectures

Abstract

Functional materials that respond to chemical or physical stimuli through reversible structural transformations are highly desirable for the integration into devices. Now, a new stable and flexible eightfold interpenetrated three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework (MOF) is reported, [Zn(oba)(pip)]n (JUK-8) based on 4,4'-oxybis(benzenedicarboxylate) (oba) and 4-pyridyl functionalized benzene-1,3-dicarbohydrazide (pip) linkers, featuring distinct switchability in response to guest molecules (H2 O and CO2 ) or temperature. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD), combined with density functional theory (DFT) and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations, reveal a unique breathing mechanism involving collective motions of eight mixed-linker diamondoid subnetworks with only minor displacements between them. The pronounced stepwise volume change of JUK-8 during water adsorption is used to construct an electron conducting composite film for resistive humidity sensing.