Selective surface and near-surface modification of a noncatenated, catalytically active metal-organic framework material based on Mn(salen) struts.

From a combination of chiral Mn(salen) struts and the tetratopic ligand tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)benzene, a large-pore, noncatenated metal-organic framework (MOF) material, MnSO-MOF, has been synthesized. Following solvent exchange with hydrophobic CHCl(3), treatment of MnSO-MOF with aqueous H(2)O(2) allowed for the selective demetalation of Mn(salen) struts at and near the surface of the crystals. The resulting crystals displayed greatly enhanced size-selective catalysis compared to the as-synthesized material. Handling of the mechanically fragile MnSO-MOF crystals was greatly facilitated by activation with supercritical CO(2).