A robust microporous metal–organic framework constructed from a flexible organic linker for acetylene storage at ambient temperature

By using an octadentate ligand tetrakis[(3,5-dicarboxyphenoxy)methyl] methane (H8L), a new microporous metal–organic framework [Cu4L(H2O)4](H2O)31 (1) was solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. MOF 1 is built from the 4-connected square planar [Cu2(O2CR)4] cluster and 8-connected cube ligand L to have a highly open framework with scu topology. It possesses permanent porosity as confirmed by N2, H2, C2H2, CO2 and CH4 gas adsorption measurements and exhibits high acetylene storage of 193 and 154 cm3 g−1 at 273 and 296 K under 1 atm, respectively.