Volume 64, Issue 24 e202500266
Research Article

A Capping-assisted Strategy for Synthesis of Glass-like Carboxylate-based Coordination Polymers

Mohamed K. Albolkany

Mohamed K. Albolkany

School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026 China

Department of Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

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Songlin Cui

Songlin Cui

School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026 China

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Yuan Zhao

Yuan Zhao

School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026 China

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Bo Liu

Corresponding Author

Bo Liu

School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026 China

E-mail: [email protected]

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First published: 03 April 2025
Citations: 1

Graphical Abstract

A direct synthesis strategy depending on capping effect was proposed for preparing glass-like coordination polymers for the first time. The prepared glassy coordination polymers possessed excellent mechanical properties and fraction resistance comparable with ceramics and plastic-like resilience.

Abstract

The direct preparation of glass-like carboxylate-based coordination polymers (CPs) possessing continuous internal structure and transparency is challenging due to the lack of control on coordination kinetics and subsequently the range of order. Herein, a capping-assisted strategy was presented to control the molecular assembly during the metal-ligand coordination in the solution and to inhibit the long-range of order hence building glass-like CPs (g-CPs) mimicking the polymerization process. 1,3,5-benzene tricarboxylate (BTC) ligand was used to connect the copper cations (Cu2+) into metal-organic complexes of different Cu: BTC ratios (metal-organic pool) in presence of an excess of triethyl amine as a capping agent. Concentrating the Cu-BTC complexes and further drying under mild conditions induced the decapping process which triggered the random crosslinking between the free carboxylate and Cu2+ to form a boundary-free continuous internal structure. The as-prepared Cu-BTC g-CP exhibited an approximately similar fine structure like its crystalline counterpart (HKUST-1), which facilitated solvent and thermal-induced crystallization. Due to the internal structure continuity, the g-CP possesses ceramic-like hardness and wear resistance and plastic-like resilience. This capping-assisted strategy has been successfully extended to Ni-BTC and Fe-BTC systems under mild conditions and thus presenting a general method for the formation of glass-like carboxylate-based CPs.

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the Supporting Information of this article.

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