An encoded asymmetric ligand for metal-selective topological assembly of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks
Abstract
Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs), with diverse topological architectures, provide a powerful platform for exploring unconventional electronic and lattice-dynamical responses. Yet their structural diversity remains fundamentally constrained by the fixed geometry of high-symmetry ligands. Here, we introduce an encoded asymmetric ligand, benzo[b]triphenylene-2,3,6,7,11,12-hexaol (BTH), for metal-selective topological assembly. By integrating multi-site coordination fields with sterically differentiated environments, BTH exhibits distinct topological programmability: different divalent metal ions direct divergent framework architectures. Specifically, coordination of BTH with divalent Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions assembles Cu-BTH-MOF with a dual-mode hexagonal pore topology and Zn-BTH-MOF with uniform hexagonal channels, respectively, as supported by PXRD Pawley refinement, structural simulations, and pore-size distribution analysis. Furthermore, this topological divergence is accompanied by a significant divergence in charge-transport properties, with Cu-BTH-MOF reaching an electrical conductivity of 1.186 x 10-3 S cm-1, more than six orders of magnitude higher than that of Zn-BTH-MOF (3.38 x 10-10 S cm-1). This work establishes ligand desymmetrization as a programmable strategy for metal-selective topological diversification in 2D MOFs.
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BibTeX
@misc{qi2026encoded,
title = {{An encoded asymmetric ligand for metal-selective topological assembly of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks}},
author = {Huimin Qi and Jinkun Guo and Xinyan Wu and Weishan Li and Tongyang Zhao and Ze-Fan Yao and Hao Chen and Ling Zhang and Bin Jiang and Yi Liu and Haoyang Zhang and Yunlong Fan and Tianyang Chen and Qingqing Ji and Jin-Hu Dou},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.09598},
eprint = {2609.09598},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.09598},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - An encoded asymmetric ligand for metal-selective topological assembly of two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks
AU - Huimin Qi
AU - Jinkun Guo
AU - Xinyan Wu
AU - Weishan Li
AU - Tongyang Zhao
AU - Ze-Fan Yao
AU - Hao Chen
AU - Ling Zhang
AU - Bin Jiang
AU - Yi Liu
AU - Haoyang Zhang
AU - Yunlong Fan
AU - Tianyang Chen
AU - Qingqing Ji
AU - Jin-Hu Dou
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/09
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.09598
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.09598
AB - Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (2D MOFs), with diverse topological architectures, provide a powerful platform for exploring unconventional electronic and lattice-dynamical responses. Yet their structural diversity remains fundamentally constrained by the fixed geometry of high-symmetry ligands. Here, we introduce an encoded asymmetric ligand, benzo[b]triphenylene-2,3,6,7,11,12-hexaol (BTH), for metal-selective topological assembly. By integrating multi-site coordination fields with sterically differentiated environments, BTH exhibits distinct topological programmability: different divalent metal ions direct divergent framework architectures. Specifically, coordination of BTH with divalent Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions assembles Cu-BTH-MOF with a dual-mode hexagonal pore topology and Zn-BTH-MOF with uniform hexagonal channels, respectively, as supported by PXRD Pawley refinement, structural simulations, and pore-size distribution analysis. Furthermore, this topological divergence is accompanied by a significant divergence in charge-transport properties, with Cu-BTH-MOF reaching an electrical conductivity of 1.186 x 10-3 S cm-1, more than six orders of magnitude higher than that of Zn-BTH-MOF (3.38 x 10-10 S cm-1). This work establishes ligand desymmetrization as a programmable strategy for metal-selective topological diversification in 2D MOFs.
ER -