A robust porous metal-organic framework with a new topology that demonstrates pronounced porosity and high-efficiency sorption/selectivity properties of small molecules.

A robust porous metal-organic framework (MOF), [Co(3)(ndc)(HCOO)(3)(μ(3)-OH)(H(2)O)](n) (1) (H(2)ndc=5-(4-pyridyl)-isophthalic acid), was synthesized with pronounced porosity. MOF 1 contained two different types of nanotubular channels, which exhibited a new topology with the Schlafli symbol of {4(2).6(5).8(3)}{4(2).6}. MOF 1 showed high-efficiency for the selective sorption of small molecules, including the energy-correlated gases of H(2), CH(4), and CO(2), and environment-correlated steams of alcohols, acetone, and pyridine. Gas-sorption experiments indicated that MOF 1 exhibited not only a high CO(2)-uptake (25.1 wt % at 273 K/1 bar) but also the impressive selective sorption of CO(2) over N(2) and CH(4). High H(2)-uptake (2.04 wt % at 77 K/1 bar) was also observed. Moreover, systematic studies on the sorption of steams of organic molecules displayed excellent capacity for the sorption of the homologous series of alcohols (C(1)-C(5)), acetone, pyridine, as well as water.