Large-Pore Apertures in a Series of Metal-Organic Frameworks

We report a strategy to expand the pore aperture of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) into a previously unattained size regime (>32 angstroms). Specifically, the systematic expansion of a well-known MOF structure, MOF-74, from its original link of one phenylene ring (I) to two, three, four, five, six, seven, nine, and eleven (II to XI, respectively), afforded an isoreticular series of MOF-74 structures (termed IRMOF-74-I to XI) with pore apertures ranging from 14 to 98 angstroms. All members of this series have non-interpenetrating structures and exhibit robust architectures, as evidenced by their permanent porosity and high thermal stability (up to 300 degrees C). The pore apertures of an oligoethylene glycol-functionalized IRMOF-74-VII and IRMOF-74-IX are large enough for natural proteins to enter the pores.