Dynamic Coordination Polymers with 4,4‘-Oxybis(benzoate):  Reversible Transformations of Nano- and Nonporous Coordination Frameworks Responding to Present Solvents

Reversible construction of a nanoporous framework from a nonporous framework has been found in the zinc(II) coordination polymer with 4,4‘-oxybis(benzoate) (oba). [Zn₂(oba)₂(dmf)₂]·2DMF (1), which has 1 nm scale channels, transforms to the nonporous coordination polymer [Zn(oba)(H₂O)] (2) with the loss of the open framework. Compound 2 on treatment with DMF reversibly yields nanoporous compound 1.