Symmetry-guided syntheses of mixed-linker Zr metal–organic frameworks with precise linker locations

While the one-pot reaction of zirconium metal ions with a mixture of two dicarboxylate heterolinkers yielded a 12-c fcu Zr MOF with randomly distributed linkers, the symmetry-guided stepwise reaction produced the same MOF with both linkers precisely located in the framework. In the latter method, linear terephthalic acid (H(2)BDC) derivatives with mmm symmetry were inserted into the mmm-symmetry sites of the flexible Zr MOF with 8-c bcu topology (ZRN-bcu), which is composed of zigzag 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid with 2/m symmetry. Although the length of the symmetry-matching BDC(2–) derivatives was much shorter than the distance between the unlinked nearest-neighbor Zr clusters in ZRN-bcu, induced fitting of the derivatives into the framework was possible, resulting in well-defined locations for the two different dicarboxylate linkers. Thus, controlled synthesis of MOFs with the desired topology and functionality can be achieved using a symmetry-guided approach.