Polymerization in MOF-Confined Nanospaces: Tailored Architectures, Functions, and Applications

This feature article describes recent trends and advances in structuring network polymers using a coordination-driven metal–organic framework (MOF)-based template approach to demonstrate the concept of crystal-controlled polymerization in confined nanospaces, forming tailored architectures ranging from simple linear one-dimensional macromolecules to tunable three-dimensional cross-linked network polymers and interwoven molecular architectures. MOF-templated network polymers combine the characteristics and advantages of crystalline MOFs (high porosity, structural regularity, and designability) with the intrinsic behaviors of soft polymers (flexibility, processability, stability, or biocompatibility) with widespread application possibilities and tunable properties. The article ends with a summary of the remaining challenges to be addressed, and future research opportunities in this field are discussed

Reversible thiazolidine exchange: A new reaction suitable for dynamic combinatorial chemistry

New dynamic combinatorial libraries (DCLs) were generated using the reversible aminothiol exchange reaction of thiazolidines and aromatic aldehydes. The reaction proceeded in aqueous buffered media at pH 4 and room temperature to generate thermodynamically controlled mixtures of heterocycles. The synthesis of an enantiomerically pure thiazolidinyloxazolidine is also reported. The oxazolidine moiety could be exchanged in CH2Cl2 in the presence of catalytic p-TsOH. © 2009 American Chemical Society