Role of the metal cation in the dehydration of the microporous metal–organic frameworks CPO-27-M

The dehydration of the CPO-27-M (M-MOF-74, M = Zn, Co, Ni, Mg, Mn, Cu) metal-organic framework series has been investigated comprehensively using in situ variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction (VT-PXRD) and thermal analysis (TG) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). Significant differences in the order of water desorption from different adsorption sites on heating are found with varying metal cation in the otherwise isostructural material. For all CPO-27-M (except M = Cu), water is bonded significantly more strongly to the accessible open metal sites, and these water molecules are only desorbed at higher temperatures than the other water molecules. CPO-27-Cu is an exception, where all water molecules desorb simultaneously and at much lower temperatures (below 340 K). MS and TG data show that all CPO-27-M start to release traces of CO2 already at 300–350 K, and thus long before bulk thermal decomposition is observed. Only for CPO-27-Co, the CO2 release is essentially constant on its baseline between 450 and 700 K, and it is the only CPO-27-M member that shows a stable plateau in the TG in this region. Additional rehydration studies on CPO-27-Co show that the MOF incorporates any water molecules present until the pores are fully loaded. CPO-27-Co consequently behaves as an efficient trap for any water present