Design of frameworks with mixed triangular and octahedral building blocks exemplified by the structure of [Zn4O(TCA)2] having the pyrite topology

Abstract

Building blocks, octahedral (basic zinc acetate units) and triangular (tritopic carboxylic acid), are assembled into a metal-organic framework (MOF-150) having the topology of the FeS2 pyrite net (see picture). Two independent nets interpenetrate, forming the first example of a fully catenated structure with mixed coordination, an occurrence that is ascribed to the self-dual property of the pyrite net (TCA=4,4′,4″ -Tricarboxytriphenylamine).