Design and Synthesis of a Water‐Stable Anionic Uranium‐Based Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) with Ultra Large Pores

Abstract

Abstract Ionic metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a subclass of porous materials that have the ability to incorporate different charged species in confined nanospace by ion‐exchange. To date, however, very few examples combining mesoporosity and water stability have been realized in ionic MOF chemistry. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of a water‐stable anionic mesoporous MOF based on uranium and featuring tbo ‐type topology. The resulting tbo MOF exhibits exceptionally large open cavities (3.9 nm) exceeding those of all known anionic MOFs. By supercritical CO 2 activation, a record‐high Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area (2100 m 2 g −1 ) for actinide‐based MOFs has been obtained. Most importantly, however, this new uranium‐based MOF is water‐stable and able to absorb positively charged ions selectively over negatively charged ones, enabling the efficient separation of organic dyes and biomolecules.