Homochiral porous metal–organic frameworks containing only achiral building blocks for enantioselective separation

Abstract

Enantioselective separation of racemic 1-phenethanol via hydrogen bonding interactions is realized in two enantiomorphous robust metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with permanent porosity for high hydrogen uptake and reversible guest exchange function through a single-crystal-to-single-crystal fashion, which opens a new route toward enantioselective separation by employing low-cost homochiral MOFs containing only achiral building blocks.