Torsion Angle Effect on the Activation of UiO Metal-Organic Frameworks.

We present a systematic investigation of the factors influencing the surface area of zirconium-based UiO-type metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), revealing an important relationship between factors including the conformation of the organic linker in the MOF, surface tension of the guest molecules (solvent), and the stability of MOFs toward activation (removal of guest molecules). The results obtained demonstrate how the structure of the linkers forming the isostructural series of UiO MOFs with fcu topology could alter the resistance and stability of the MOF frameworks toward capillary force-driven structural degradation governed by the solvent during activation.