Block co-polyMOFs: assembly of polymer-polyMOF hybrids via iterative exponential growth and click chemistry

We report the synthesis of uniform oligomeric polyMOF ligands with alkyne end groups via an iterative exponential growth (IEG) strategy. These ligands were used to prepare a diblock copolymer via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition click chemistry with azide-terminated polystyrene (PS). In the presence of Zn ions, this novel block copolymer forms a block co-polyMOF (BCPMOF) comprised of crystalline polyMOF domains embedded in an amorphous PS matrix. BCPMOFs represent a new type of hybrid polyMOF-polymer material.