High-pressure phase transitions with group–subgroup disagreement in metal guanidinium formates

Abstract

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are emerging as better alternatives to inorganic compounds for use in technological applications, yet many of their fundamental characteristics remain unexplored. We report the first experimental studies based on diffraction across the structural change in any perovskite-type MOF undergoing high-pressure phase-transitions revealing a structural transformation in metal guanidinium formates (MeGFs). Though, in general, a change in symmetry adheres to a group–subgroup association, a MOF is found to defy such behaviour and yet exhibits reversibility.