Separation technology is central to industries as diverse as petroleum, pharmaceuticals, mining and life sciences. Metal-organic cages, a class of molecular containers formed via coordination-driven self-assembly, show great promise as separation agents. Precise control of the shape, size and functionalization of cage cavities enables them to selectively bind and distinguish a wide scope of physicochemically similar substances in solution. Extensive research has, thus, been performed involving separations of high-value targets using coordination cages, ranging from gases and liquids to compounds dissolved in solution. Enantiopure capsules also show great potential for the separation of chiral molecules. The use of crystalline cages as absorbents, or the incorporation of cages into polymer membranes, could increase the selectivity and efficiency of separation processes. This Review covers recent progress in using metal-organic cages to achieve separations, with discussion of the many methods of using them in this context. Challenges and potential future developments are also discussed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41570-020-00246-1 | DOI Listing |
Sci Adv
January 2025
CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Mixed matrix membranes, with well-designed pore structure inside the polymeric matrix via the incorporation of inorganic components, offer a promising solution for addressing CO emissions. Here, we synthesized a series of novel metal organic cages (MOCs) with aperture pore size precisely positioned between CO and N or CH. These MOCs were uniformly dispersed in the polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Chem
January 2025
Engineering Research Center of Photoenergy Utilization for Pollution Control and Carbon Reduction, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China.
The properties and functions of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be tailored by tuning their structure, including their shape, porosity and topology. However, the design and synthesis of complex structures in a predictable manner remains challenging. Here we report the preparation of a series of isomeric pillar-layered MOFs, and we show that their three-dimensional topology can be controlled by altering the layer stacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
January 2025
State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China; Institute of High Performance Polymers, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China. Electronic address:
Metal-organic cages (MOCs), assembled by the coordination of metal nodes with organic ligands, offer excellent solvent dispersion, functionalization potential, and abundant binding sites, making them ideal for hybrid hydrogel synthesis. Herrin, a novel Zr-MOC/CS hybrid hydrogel was developed by crosslinking Zr-based metal-organic cages (Zr-MOC) and chitosan (CS) using dibenzaldehyde-functionalized polyethylene glycol (DF-PEG) as crosslinker, marking the first instance of incorporating Zr-MOC into a hydrogel matrix. The composite hydrogel leverages the catalytic activity of Zr-MOC to convert trace HO into hydroxyl radicals (·OH), delivering enhanced antibacterial performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
State Key Lab of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
Polymer dielectric materials are widely used in electrical and electronic systems, and there have been increasing demands on their dielectric properties at high temperatures. Incorporating inorganic nanoparticles into polymers is an effective approach to improving their dielectric properties. However, the agglomeration of inorganic nanoparticles and the destabilization of the organic-inorganic interface at high temperatures have limited the development of nanocomposites toward large-scale industrial production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Sci
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road Hong Kong P. R. China
Phosphorescent gold(iii) complexes possess long-lived emissive excited states, making them ideal for use as molecular sensors and photosensitizers for organic transformations. Literature reports indicate that gold(iii) emitters exhibit good catalytic activity in homogeneous photochemical reactions. Heterogeneous metal-organic framework (MOF)-supported gold(iii) photocatalysts are considered to show high recyclability in photochemical reactions and potentially provide new selectivities.
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