Effect of Imidazole Arrangements on Proton-Conductivity in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Imidazole molecules were frequently incorporated into porous materials to improve their proton conductivity. To investigate how different arrangements of imidazoles in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) affect the overall proton conduction, we designed and prepared a MOF-based model system. It includes an Fe–MOF as the blank, an imidazole@Fe–MOF (Im@Fe–MOF) with physically adsorbed imidazole, and an imidazole–Fe–MOF (Im–Fe–MOF), which contains chemically coordinated imidazole molecules. The parent Fe–MOF, synthesized from the exchange of carboxylates in the preformed [Fe3(μ3–O)](carboxylate)6 clusters and multitopic carboxylate ligands, serves as a control. The Im@Fe–MOF was prepared by encapsulating free…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 21501036, 21622104, 21371099, 21471080
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province

  Award: BK20141445
• PA
  Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions
• JP
  Jiangsu Planned Projects for Postdoctoral Research Funds

  Award: 1601072B