Spatiotemporal Control of Supramolecular Polymerization and Gelation of Metal-Organic Polyhedra.

In coordination-based supramolecular materials such as metallogels, simultaneous temporal and spatial control of their assembly remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of light with acids as stimuli allows for the spatiotemporal control over the architectures, mechanical properties, and shape of porous soft materials based on metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs). First, we show that the formation of a colloidal gel network from a preformed kinetically trapped MOP solution can be triggered upon addition of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and that acid concentration determines the reaction kinetics. As determined by time-resolved dynamic light scattering, UV-vis absorption, and