Modulating proton diffusion and conductivity in metal-organic frameworks by incorporation of accessible free carboxylic acid groups.

Three multi-carboxylic acid functionalised ligands have been designed, synthesised and utilised to prepare the new barium-based MOFs, MFM-510, -511, and -512, which show excellent stability to water-vapour. MFM-510 and MFM-511 show moderate proton conductivities (2.1 × 10 and 5.

Locating the binding domains in a highly selective mixed matrix membrane via synchrotron IR microspectroscopy.

The binding domains within a mixed matrix membrane (MMM) that is selective for CO comprising MFM-300(Al) and the polymer 6FDA-Durene-DABA have been established via in situ synchrotron IR microspectroscopy. The MOF crystals are fully accessible and play a critical role in the binding of CO, creating a selective pathway to promote permeation of CO within and through the MMM. This study reveals directly the molecular mechanism for the overall enhanced performance of this MMM in terms of permeability, solubility and selectivity for CO.

Proton Conduction in a Phosphonate-Based Metal-Organic Framework Mediated by Intrinsic "Free Diffusion inside a Sphere".

Understanding the molecular mechanism of proton conduction is crucial for the design of new materials with improved conductivity. Quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) has been used to probe the mechanism of proton diffusion within a new phosphonate-based metal-organic framework (MOF) material, MFM-500(Ni). QENS suggests that the proton conductivity (4.