Facile Guest-Mediated Method for Gram-Scale Synthesis\nof Superhydrophilic Metal–Organic Frameworks

Abstract

Superhydrophilic metal–organic\nframeworks (MOFs) are ideal\nmaterials for many applications in an aqueous environment, such as\ncatalysis, drug delivery, and pollute absorption. However, current\napproaches fail to provide either an efficient way to enhance inside\naqueous diffusion or a facile method for mass production. Here, aiming\nat the above issues, we presented a guest-mediated strategy to rapidly\nproduce superhydrophilic MOFs in gram scale, based on the interaction\nbetween polarized polyoxometalate guests and hydrophobic channels.\nExperimental observation and theoretical simulation show that the\nassembled guests induced aqueous diffusion into channels, promoting\nwater transportation. The confirmatory biocatalytic application indicated\nenhanced water filtration and mass transfer in MOFs, which was manifested\nby efficient substrate conversion in biological buffers. Because this\nstrategy was generally valid to a variety of MOFs, it would unleash\nthe potential of MOFs in an aqueous environment and bring many possibilities\nto this field.