A flexible copper MOF as a carboxylate-specific crystalline sponge for structure solution using X-ray and electron diffraction
A flexible copper MOF as a carboxylate-specific crystalline sponge for structure solution using X-ray and electron diffraction
A new metal–organic framework (MOF) comprising copper and 2,3-dihydroxyterephthalate (2,3-dhtp) has been prepared using solvothermal synthesis. The solid (chemical formula of the as-made material): Cu12(dhtp)4(H2dhtp)3(CH3CO2)2 2DMF·10H2O is flexible in that its pore size adapts to match the size of guest molecules that are adsorbed. Carboxylate-containing molecules of different sizes (acetate, benzoic acid and ibuprofen) can be accommodated within the pores of the material and are coordinated to a dimeric copper unit. The localisation of the adsorbate guest molecule, the mode of binding and relatively low symmetry of the MOF allows the system to be used as a crystalline sponge. The crystal structure determination of the as-synthesised acetate-bound MOF was accomplished using single-crystal X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source, while the benzoate- and ibuprofen-bound structures were solved using electron diffraction. A more practical adsorbent can be formulated by growing the MOF on a cotton fabric substrate, and this is shown to adsorb ibuprofen in a similar manner to the powdered MOF.
1116-1126
Main, Russell M.
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Rainer, Daniel N.
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Bauzá, Marta
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Ettlinger, Romy
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Kelly, Nicole L.
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Coles, Simon J.
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Ashbrook, Sharon E.
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Morris, Russell E.
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14 January 2026
Main, Russell M.
dfd68240-78d4-49e8-bfdf-b005b312e87f
Rainer, Daniel N.
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Bauzá, Marta
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Ettlinger, Romy
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Kelly, Nicole L.
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Coles, Simon J.
3116f58b-c30c-48cf-bdd5-397d1c1fecf8
Ashbrook, Sharon E.
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Morris, Russell E.
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Main, Russell M., Rainer, Daniel N., Bauzá, Marta, Ettlinger, Romy, Kelly, Nicole L., Coles, Simon J., Ashbrook, Sharon E. and Morris, Russell E.
(2026)
A flexible copper MOF as a carboxylate-specific crystalline sponge for structure solution using X-ray and electron diffraction.
Chemical Science, 17 (2), .
(doi:10.1039/d5sc05651a).
Abstract
A new metal–organic framework (MOF) comprising copper and 2,3-dihydroxyterephthalate (2,3-dhtp) has been prepared using solvothermal synthesis. The solid (chemical formula of the as-made material): Cu12(dhtp)4(H2dhtp)3(CH3CO2)2 2DMF·10H2O is flexible in that its pore size adapts to match the size of guest molecules that are adsorbed. Carboxylate-containing molecules of different sizes (acetate, benzoic acid and ibuprofen) can be accommodated within the pores of the material and are coordinated to a dimeric copper unit. The localisation of the adsorbate guest molecule, the mode of binding and relatively low symmetry of the MOF allows the system to be used as a crystalline sponge. The crystal structure determination of the as-synthesised acetate-bound MOF was accomplished using single-crystal X-ray diffraction using a synchrotron source, while the benzoate- and ibuprofen-bound structures were solved using electron diffraction. A more practical adsorbent can be formulated by growing the MOF on a cotton fabric substrate, and this is shown to adsorb ibuprofen in a similar manner to the powdered MOF.
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d5sc05651a
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Accepted/In Press date: 6 November 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 10 November 2025
Published date: 14 January 2026
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This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2026
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Local EPrints ID: 508838
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508838
ISSN: 2041-6520
PURE UUID: 24ab7351-3f81-417a-a6cf-93e72e054031
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Date deposited: 04 Feb 2026 17:45
Last modified: 05 Feb 2026 03:07
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Author:
Russell M. Main
Author:
Daniel N. Rainer
Author:
Marta Bauzá
Author:
Romy Ettlinger
Author:
Nicole L. Kelly
Author:
Sharon E. Ashbrook
Author:
Russell E. Morris
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