High-symmetry hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks: air separation and crystal-to-crystal structural transformation

Abstract

By changing the size of a substituent group, benzotrisimidazoles can self-assembly to give a honeycomb-like (hcb) layer or a three-dimensional (10,3)-a (srs) network. While the former is highly stable and rigid with little porosity, the latter can undergo a water-induced reversible crystal-to-crystal transformation and selectively adsorb O2 over Ar and N2.