A Chemically Functionalizable Nanoporous Material [Cu 3 (TMA) 2 (H 2 O) 3 ] n

Although zeolites and related materials combine nanoporosity with high thermal stability, they are difficult to modify or derivatize in a systematic way. A highly porous metal coordination polymer [Cu 3 (TMA) 2 (H 2 O) 3 ] n (where TMA is benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) was formed in 80 percent yield. It has interconnected [Cu 2 (O 2 CR) 4 ] units (where R is an aromatic ring), which create a three-dimensional system of channels with a pore size of 1 nanometer and an accessible porosity of about 40 percent in the solid. Unlike zeolites, the channel linings can be chemically functionalized; for example, the aqua ligands can be replaced by pyridines. Thermal gravimetric analysis and high-temperature single-crystal diffractometry indicate that the framework is stable up to 240°C.