Shape Control of Coordination Polymer Particles by Two Different Types of Building Blocks and Zn2+

Abstract

Spherical and cubic shaped coordination polymer particles were synthesized by a simple solvothermal reaction of both alanine-appended benzene tricarboxamide building blocks 1 and/or terephthalic acid-based building blocks 2 in the presence of Zn(NO3)(2) in DMF. With high concentrations of 1, spherical particles were obtained in high yield due to the flexibility of the building block bearing three-substituents. In contrast, cubic particles were obtained with high concentrations of 2 due to rigidity of the building block. The crystalline content of the cubic shaped particles was higher than that of the spherical shaped particles. The ultimate particle shapes produced depended upon the relative amounts of both building blocks used.