Calcium l‑Lactate Frameworks as Naturally Degradable Carriers for Pesticides

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 139; no. 24; pp. 8118 - 8121
• Main Authors: Yang, Jingjing, Trickett, Christopher A, Alahmadi, Salman B, Alshammari, Ahmad S, Yaghi, Omar M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 21.06.2017
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b04542

Two porous, chiral metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), Ca14(l-lactate)20(acetate)8(C2H5OH)­(H2O) (MOF-1201) and Ca6(l-lactate)3(acetate)9(H2O) (MOF-1203), are constructed from Ca2+ ions and l-lactate [CH3CH­(OH)­COO–], where Ca2+ ions are bridged by the carboxylate and hydroxyl groups of lactate and the carboxylate group of acetate to give a three-dimensional arrangement of Ca­(−COO, −OH) polyhedra supporting one-dimensional pores with apertures and internal diameters of 7.8 and 9.6 Å (MOF-1201) and 4.6 and 5.6 Å (MOF-1203), respectively. These MOFs represent the first examples of extended porous structures based on Ca2+ and lactate. They show permanent porosity of 430 and 160 m2 g–1, respectively, and can encapsulate an agriculturally important fumigant, cis-1,3-dichloropropene. MOF-1201 shows a 100 times lower release rate compared with liquid cis-1,3-dichloropropene under the same test conditions (25 °C, air flow rate of 1 cm3 min–1). The hydrolysis of MOF-1201 in water makes it the first example of a degradable porous solid carrier for such fumigants.