An Isoreticular Series of Zinc(II) Metal-Organic Frameworks Derived from Terpyridylcarboxylate Ligands.

An isoreticular family of seven microporous metal-organic frameworks of the general form [ZnL] have been synthesized, where L is a 4'-substituted 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine-4,4″-dicarboxylate ligand. Each framework adopts an interpenetrated zeolitic gismondine (gis-c) topology and possesses one-dimensional square channels with ca. 9.0 Å apertures running down the crystallographic c axis. Gas adsorption measurements with N2, H2, CH4, and CO2 confirm their permanent porosity. The ligand functional groups, which include phenyl, 2-tolyl, 4-chlorophenyl, 4-nitrophenyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, and 4-pyridyl, line the channel walls and tune the gas adsorption properties of these materials.