Construction of open metal-organic frameworks based on predesigned carboxylate isomers: from achiral to chiral nets.

The four-connected carboxylate ligand N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,4-phenylenediamine (TCPPDA) exists as three stereoisomers: a pair of enantiomers (deltaD2- and lambdaD2-TCPPDA) and a diastereomer (C2h-TCPPDA). TCPPDA was predesigned for the construction of isomeric coordination networks. Reactions of M(NO3)2 (M=Cu, Zn, Co) or Nd(NO)3 with TCPPDA under solvothermal conditions gave rise to five novel porous metal-organic frameworks: [Cu2(D2-tcppda)(H2O)2].2 DMSO.6H2O (1), [Cu2(C2h-tcppda)(H2O)2].2DMSO.6H2O (2), [Co3(D2-Htcppda)2].4DEF.5H2O (3), [Nd2(D2-tcppda)(C2h-tcppda)0.5(DMSO)3]3 DMSO5 H2O (4), and [Zn4O(D2-tcppda)1.5].DMF.H2O (5) (DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide, DEF=diethylformamide, DMF=dimethylformamide). Complexes 1 and 2 are supramolecular isomers, in which all the ligands adopt pseudotetrahedral (both deltaD2- and lambdaD2-TCPPDA) and rectangular (C2h-TCPPDA) geometries, respectively. Both compounds connect paddlewheel secondary building units (SBUs) to form three-dimensional porous networks possessing PtS and NbO nets, respectively. In 3, all ligands possess pseudotetrahedral (both deltaD2- and lambdaD2-TCPPDA) geometry and link hourglass SBUs to form a three-dimensional porous framework. Compound 4 contains all three stereoisomers (C2-, deltaD2-, and lambdaD2-TCPPDA), thus, has both pseudotetrahedral and rectangular geometries. D2-TCPPDA connects the binuclear neodymium units to generate a two-dimensional layer, further linked by C2h-TCPPDA to create a three-dimensional open framework. In 5, all the ligands possess pseudotetrahedral geometry (D2-TCPPDA), as found in 1 and 3. However, all the TCPPDA ligands in 5 appear as either the deltaD2 or the lambdaD2 form, thus, the whole structure is homochiral. Complex 5 crystallizes in the I4(1)32 space group and the octahedral SBU in 5 is connected by the enantiopure TCPPDA to generate a three-dimensional porous network possessing the corundum Al2O3 net. Complexes 1, 2, and 5 possess permanent porosity, and 4 and 5 exhibit strong luminescence at lambdamax=423 and 424 nm, respectively, upon excitation at 268.5 nm.