Imine-linked COFs have been successfully constructed and showed NH₃ sensing ability at room temperature. The imine-linked COFs with a disordered structure had better NH₃ sensing ability than those with a crystalline structure.

A highly crystalline and robust Zr-hydroxamate metal–organic framework (MOF) was prepared from a pyrazine-based ligand, featuring abundant N,N′ chelating sites. High-degree Pd(II) metalation of the MOF was achieved through straightforward postsynthetic modification, with detailed coordination chemistry elucidated spectroscopically. The Pd-functionalized MOF was then studied as a heterogeneous Suzuki–Miyaura catalyst, through combined experimental/computational methods.

A bifunctional “soft and hard” pyridine-hydroxamate ligand was used to construct a series of robust Cu-MOFs. Theoretical analysis and experimental data revealed the Cu-MOFs’ differential properties and potential for photocatalytic CO ₂ reduction.

Isomerism and isomerization of Zr-hydroxamate MOFs with novel 2D/3D topologies were discovered via postsynthetic solvothermal reactions. Both kinetically and thermodynamically driven processes were revealed for MOF structural transformation.

To qualify as competent sorbents for airborne contaminants such as iodine vapor, permanent porosity and chemical stability are key criteria for the selection of candidate metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). To ensure these characteristics, in the present study, an unsymmetrical bifunctional ligand incorporating both carboxylic acid and hydroxamic acid groups was employed for MOF [Zn(CBHA)](DMF) [SUM-13; CPHA = 4-carboxyphenylhydroxamate, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide] design and synthesis. Though coupled with Zn²⁺, which does not typically yield kinetically robust MOFs with hard acids, the SUM-13 featuring differentiated coordination modes of chelating, bridging and monodentate bonding exhibited exceptional chemical stability and permanent porosity, with a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 296.9 m²/g and a total pore volume of 0.1196 cm³/g. Additionally, with porosity and open metal sites at the five-coordinate Zn²⁺ centers, SUM-13 was demonstrated to be an eligible iodine adsorbent, reaching a maximum uptake of 796 mg/g. These findings underscore the validity and potential of the design strategy in constructing stable metal–organic frameworks.

We present a robust yttrium-hydroxamate MOF (SUM-92) with exceptional chemical robustness, thermal stability and water uptake, especially at low RH.