Synthesis of Type II Porous Liquids from Nonporous Metal–Organic Polyhedra Enhanced by Host–Guest Complexation

Z Zhaocong Zhang (State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China) H Hailong Ning H Hongjun Liu (Vanderbilt University , , , ,) J Jingwen Xing (State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China) L Libing Qian (School of Nuclear Technology and Chemistry & Biology Hubei Key Laboratory of Radiation Chemistry and Functional Materials Hubei University of Science and Technology Xianning 437100 P.R. China) Z Zhuoheng Tu (State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China) D De‐en Jiang (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA) K Kecheng Jie (State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China)

Abstract

Abstract The synthesis of Type II porous liquids (PLs) from metal–organic polyhedra, a kind of excellent porous molecular sources, suffers from their strong crystallization tendency induced poor solubility. Herein, we propose a host–guest complexation enhanced dissolution strategy for constructing Type II PLs from MOPs with record‐high concentration. Benefitting from host–guest interactions between pillar[5]arene and n ‐alkyl chains, a Type II PL (P5‐PL) is developed by dissolving apolar n ‐dodecyl‐functionalized metal–organic polyhedra (MOP‐18) in polar liquid pillar[5]arene (P5‐L), exhibiting solubility much higher than all MOP‐based Type II PLs reported to date. MOP‐18, being nonporous in the solid state because of molecular packing‐induced pore blockage, displays permanent molecular porosity when molecularly and randomly dispersed in P5‐L to form P5‐PL, as confirmed by experimental and simulation results. P5‐PL demonstrates excellent CO 2 /N 2 separation capabilities, enabling the fabrication of mixed matrix membrane with superior CO 2 /N 2 selectivity. This strategy can be extended to the fabrication of additional Type II PLs, showing its universality. This synergistic design concept integrating supramolecular chemistry with PLs not only overcomes traditional tedious covalent modification but also enables high compatibility between apolar cage solutes and polar solvents, affording PLs with high porosity, low volatility and viscosity, and programmable tunability.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 64, Issue 50
Published December 08, 2025
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (8)

Z

Zhaocong Zhang

State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China

H

Hailong Ning

H

Hongjun Liu

Vanderbilt University , , , ,

J

Jingwen Xing

State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China

L

Libing Qian

School of Nuclear Technology and Chemistry & Biology Hubei Key Laboratory of Radiation Chemistry and Functional Materials Hubei University of Science and Technology Xianning 437100 P.R. China

Z

Zhuoheng Tu

State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China

D

De‐en Jiang

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA

K

Kecheng Jie

State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry MOE Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Organic Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Nanjing University Nanjing 210023 P.R. China