A biomimetic metal–organic framework with cuboid inner cavities for enantioselective separation

Abstract

A chiral metal–organic framework (CMOF) with accessible binding pockets and multiple recognition sites is constructed from a tricarboxylate ligand derived from phenylalanine. The CMOF features a rare structure with cavities encapsulated by a non-coordinated amino-acid moiety. It has been proven to be an efficient and recyclable chiral host, enabling adsorbing and separating racemic alcohols, diols, and epoxides with excellent enantioselectivity.