Dynamic molecular weaving in a two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded organic framework

Weaving is one of the most attractive handicraft techniques that can be emulated in the design of chemical structures and materials. However, due to the limitation of raw materials and manufacturing modes in molecular weaving processes, molecular weaves and their types are scarce in practice. Herein, we report a dynamic two-dimensional (2D) woven hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) with permanent porosity from the interlocking of one-dimensional (1D) strands. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) analysis reveals that strands with holes are assembled by O–H···O hydrogen bonds with a changeful feature, into which building blocks of orthogonal strands are interlocked. When responding to different vapors, angles between warps and wefts can be switched, revealing the exceptional dynamics of woven structures. During reversible structural transformations, the molecular woven structure exhibits large-scale elasticity switching and multimode stimuli-responsive luminescence behaviors, making it a multifunctional smart platform for potential applications in the fields of sensing, data recording, biomedical imaging, optoelectronic devices, and more.