Porous coordination polymers with ubiquitous and biocompatible metals and a neutral bridging ligand

The design of inexpensive and less toxic porous coordination polymers (PCPs) that show selective adsorption or high adsorption capacity is a critical issue in research on applicable porous materials. Although use of Group II magnesium(II) and calcium(II) ions as building blocks could provide cheaper materials and lead to enhanced biocompatibility, examples of magnesium(II) and calcium(II) PCPs are extremely limited compared with commonly used transition metal ones, because neutral bridging ligands have not been available for magnesium(II) and calcium(II) ions. Here we report a rationally designed neutral and charge-polarized bridging ligand as a new partner for magnesium(II) and calcium(II) ions. The three-dimensional magnesium(II) and calcium(II) PCPs synthesized using such a neutral ligand are stable and show selective adsorption and separation of carbon dioxide over methane at ambient temperature. This synthetic approach allows the structural diversification of Group II magnesium(II) and calcium(II) PCPs.