Interplaying anions in a supramolecular metallohydrogel to form metal organic frameworks

Abstract

The remarkable effect of anions on the transition from supramolecular gels to crystalline phases has been described. An amino acid-based metallohydrogel was transformed into different metal–organic frameworks through the selective picking of anions. The metallohydrogel and the resulting metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were thoroughly characterized. The results demonstrated controlled access over the binding of a particular anion to selectively form a particular MOF.