Single crystal CPO-27-Mg, -Zn and its structural isomer UTSA-74 have been prepared through use of acid modulators; salicylic acid and benzoic acid, respectively. Salicylic acid directed the synthesis of CPO-27-Mg/Zn whereas benzoic acid the synthesis of UTSA-74.
Through in-house SCXRD, DMF was seen to bind to the Zn2+ and water to the Mg2+ metal sites in CPO-27-M. Although the synthesis conditions were analogous for UTSA-74, DMF is too large to bind due to the proximity of the binding sites.
A dissolution-recrystallisation transformation was examined from UTSA-74 to CPO-27-Zn. The release of nitric oxide was measured for each material.