Hierarchical self-assembly of a chiral metal–organic framework displaying pronounced porosity

[Extract] Significant recent attention has been devoted to the development of useful self-assembled hybrid materials.[1] This is particularly the case for metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which display properties such as regularity, porosity, robustness, and high surface area that lead to potential applications in areas such as catalysis, gas separation, and storage.[2, 3] Our research groups and others have been developing new methods for the synthesis of both discrete and extended metal–organic materials, with particular interest in the controlled generation of increased structural complexity.[4] Herein we report a hierarchical self-assembly strategy which has been used to synthesize a new metal–organic framework. This strategy differs from the commonly employed molecular building block (MBB) and secondary building unit (SBU) approaches, where single metal ions or small inorganic clusters (polyhedra) are linked by bridging (often carboxylate) ligands in a one-pot reaction.[5] In these approaches, substantial pore volume is achieved principally through the enthalpically favorable formation of an open framework overcoming the entropic penalties associated with the entrapment of solvent guest molecules. Kinetic control over the formation of the framework is achieved largely through the trial-and-error optimization of synthetic conditions to prevent formation of unwanted kinetic intermediates.[6