Anion separation by selective crystallization of metal-organic frameworks

A novel approach for the separation of anions from aqueous mixtures was demonstrated, which involves their selective crystallization with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) containing urea functional groups. Self-assembly of Zn ²⁺ with the N,N′-bis(m-pyridyl)urea (BPU) linker results in the formation of one-dimensional MOFs including various anions for charge balance, which interact to different extents with the zinc nodes and the urea hydrogen-bonding groups, depending on their coordinating abilities. Thus, Cl^-, Br^-, l^-, and SO₄^2-, in the presence of BPU and Zn²⁺, form MOFs from water, in which the anions coordinate the zinc and are hydrogen-bonded to the urea groups, whereas NO₃^- and ClO₄^- anions either do not form MOFs or form water-soluble discrete coordination complexes under the same conditions. X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and elemental analysis of the coordination polymers precipitated from aqueous mixtures containing equivalent amounts of these anions indicated total exclusion of the oxoanions and selective crystallization of the halides in the form of solid solutions with the general composition ZnCl_xBr_yl_z·BPU (x + y + z = 2), with an anti-Hofmeister selectivity. The concomitant inclusion of the halides in the same structural frameworks facilitates the rationalization of the observed selectivity on the basis of the diminishing interactions with the zinc and urea acidic centers in the MOFs when going from Cl^- to l ^-, which correlates with decreasing anionic charge density in the same order. The overall crystal packing efficiency of the coordination frameworks, which ultimately determines their solubility, also plays an important role in the anion crystallization selectivity under thermodynamic equilibration.