Separation of rare gases and chiral molecules by selective binding in porous organic cages.

The separation of molecules with similar size and shape is an important technological challenge. For example, rare gases can pose either an economic opportunity or an environmental hazard and there is a need to separate these spherical molecules selectively at low concentrations in air. Likewise, chiral molecules are important building blocks for pharmaceuticals, but chiral enantiomers, by definition, have identical size and shape, and their separation can be challenging.

Supramolecular isomers of metal-organic frameworks: the role of a new mixed donor imidazolate-carboxylate tetradentate ligand.

Five new metal-organic frameworks prepared from the ligand 5-bis(3-(1-imidazolyl)propylcarbamoyl)terephthalate (bipta(2-)) and transition metal salts, Zn(2+) (1), Co(2+) (2), Mn(2+) (3, 4) and Cu(2+) (5), are reported. Single crystal X-ray studies reveal that the bipta(2-) ligand acts as a tetradentate ligand and combines with four-coordinate cationic metal nodes to give four-connected framework structures. Whilst reaction of bipta(2-) with Zn(II) gives rise to a framework of diamondoid topology 1, the analogous frameworks with Co(II), Mn(II) and Cu(II) afford frameworks that incorporate square-planar nodes.