Radical-Driven Crystal–Amorphous–Crystal Transition of a Metal–Organic Framework

Abstract

Self-assembly-based structural transition has been explored for various applications, including molecular machines, sensors, and drug delivery. In this study, we developed new redox-active metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) called DGIST-10 series that comprise π-acidic 1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based ligands and Ni²⁺ ions, aiming to boost ligand-self-assembly-driven structural transition and study the involved mechanism. Notably, during the synthesis of the MOFs, a single-crystal–amorphous–single-crystal structural transition occurred within the MOFs upon radical formation, which was ascribed to the fact that radicals prefer spin-pairing or through-space electron delocalization by π-orbital overlap. The radical-formation-induced structural transitions were further confirmed by the postsynthetic solvothermal treatment of isolated nonradical MOF crystals. Notably, the transient amorphous phase without morphological disintegration was clearly observed, contributing to the seminal structural change of the MOF. We believe that this unprecedented structural transition triggered by the ligand self-assembly magnifies the structural flexibility and diversity of MOFs, which is one of the pivotal aspects of MOFs.