An unprecedented twelve-connected 3D metal-organic framework based on heptanuclear cobalt cluster building blocks

•The complex displays a unique 2-nodal (4,12)-connected network.•The disk-like heptanuclear cobalt clusters are 12-connected.•The complex exhibits the first example of (433.630.83)(46)3 topology.•The heptanuclear cobalt clusters exhibit antiferromagnetic property.

Solvothermal reaction of flexible tetrapodal linker tetrakis[4-(carboxyphenyl) oxamethyl]methane acid (H4L) with cobalt salt yields a new metal-organic framework [Co7(L)3(μ3-O)3(DMF)3]∙(DMF)13(H2O)25. X-ray crystallography reveals that the structure exhibits a unique 2-nodal (4,12)-connected topology with the Schläfli symbol of (433.630.83)(46)3, constructed from heptanuclear cobalt clusters as 12-connected nodes and tetrahedral ligands as 4-connected nodes. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that the heptanuclear cobalt clusters exhibit antiferromagnetic property.

Graphical abstractAn unprecedented twelve-connected 3D metal-organic framework [Co7(L)3(μ3-O)3(DMF)3]·(DMF)13(H2O)25 has been synthesized and characterized, which contains disk-like heptanuclear cobalt clusters as 12-connected nodes and tetrahedral ligands as 4-connected nodes. The structure exhibits a unique 2-nodal (4,12)-connected topology with the Schläfli symbol of (433.630.83)(46)3. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that the heptanuclear cobalt clusters exhibit antiferromagnetic property.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide