The journal Chemical Science has published a paper entitled Large breathing effect by water sorption in a remarkably stable nonporous cyanide-bridged coordination polymer. The study presented in the paper is a result of collaboration between the Inorganic Molecular Material Group (Michał Magott, Dr hab. Dawid Pinkowicz, Dr Mateusz Reczyński) and Solid Catalysis and Physical Chemistry Group II (Prof. Wojciech Makowski, Karolina Ogorzały).
The paper proves that cyanide-bridged coordination polymers can exhibit a structural ‘breathing’ effect which was previously thought to be a unique property of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Researchers have also conducted measurements of quasi-equilibrated thermal desorption and found that studies coordination network exhibited remarkable stability in over 30 cycles of thermal adsorption-desorption. By utilising thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic vapour sorption and X-ray diffraction (the latter with the help of Dr Bartłomiej Gaweł from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology), they proved that the tested material can compete with MOF-type networks in cases which require vapour sorption, such as reclaiming water from the air in desert environments. Additionally, with the assistance of Dr Marcin Sarewicz from the JU Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, researchers have also proved that manganese (II) ions, an integral part of the tested compound, not only allow for effective absorption of vapour from the air, but also play the role of internal sensors that can be used to measure the network’s level of hydration through the use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.
The paper is available on the Chemical Science website.
