3.2. NH3 (NH4+) as a proton-conducting medium in MOFs
pp. 24-27Organises ammonia-related conductivity into ammonium counterions, aqueous-NH3 inclusion and anhydrous NH3 protonation strategies.
Relevance: Core · p. 24 · 3.2
Dae-Woon Lim, Masaaki Sadakiyo and Hiroshi Kitagawa · Chemical Science · 2019
To review degenerate hydrogen-bonded proton-conduction systems in MOFs, especially water-based hydronium/hydroxide media and emerging ammonia/ammonium media, with attention to design strategies, conduction mechanisms, stability and molecular dynamics.
The review’s argument is preserved as a navigable set of section summaries.
Organises ammonia-related conductivity into ammonium counterions, aqueous-NH3 inclusion and anhydrous NH3 protonation strategies.
Relevance: Core · p. 24 · 3.2
Explains why ammonia-mediated conduction requires chemically robust MOFs and summarises metal-node/linker factors controlling NH3 stability.
Relevance: Core · p. 23 · 3.1 · Table 1
Reviews QENS, NMR and MD evidence for mobile protic species, then distils future design rules: hydrophilic channels, acidic sites, defects, robust metals and more computational mechanism studies.
Relevance: Core · p. 31 · 4. Conclusions and prospects
Frames proton transport as acid-base transfer, motivates water and ammonia degenerate conjugate acid-base systems, and classifies intrinsic and extrinsic proton sources in MOFs.
Relevance: Core · p. 18 · 1. Introduction · Fig. 1
Surveys H3O+-H2O systems in MOFs where water, acid groups and counterions create hydrogen-bond networks for Grotthuss-like proton transport.
Relevance: Core · p. 18 · 2.1
Defines the OH--H2O back-transfer mechanism and highlights alkaline-stable hosts that can accommodate hydroxide salts or counterions.
Relevance: Supporting · p. 21 · 2.2 · Figs. 9-12
Classification systems are attributed to this review and are not treated as a global material registry.
The ammonia section separates charge-compensating ammonium frameworks, aqueous ammonia treatments and pure NH3 uptake by acid-functionalised stable MOFs.
Categories: NH4+ counterion during MOF synthesis · aqueous-NH3 vapour inclusion · anhydrous NH3 adsorption and protonation
p. 24 · 3.2
Water-mediated proton diffusion is interpreted through Grotthuss and vehicle mechanisms; ammonia-water cases can shift from hopping at low temperature to vehicular motion at higher temperature.
Categories: Grotthuss proton hopping with molecular rotation · vehicle diffusion of proton-attached species · mixed or temperature-dependent mechanism
p. 17 · 1. Introduction
The review organises proton conduction around degenerate hydrogen-bonded acid-base systems of water and ammonia, with NH3 also forming mixed water/ammonium pathways.
Categories: H3O+-H2O · OH--H2O · NH4+-NH3 · NH4+-H2O or NH3-H2O mixed systems
p. 16 · Abstract · Scheme 1
Intrinsic sources are incorporated during framework formation either in pores or on linkers; extrinsic sources are introduced into pores by inclusion of protic guests.
Categories: intrinsic pore counterions · intrinsic dangling acid functional groups · extrinsic protic guest molecules or nonvolatile acids
p. 18 · 1. Introduction · Fig. 1
Review-defined families retain their representative materials and conduction descriptions.
Charge-neutral alkaline-stable FJU-66 frameworks loaded with hydroxide salts to create supramolecular OH-/water chains.
Conduction: Conductivity depends on the included hydroxide salt and can become very high when water pathways and hydroxide chains align.
Representative materials: FJU-66[EVIm]OH · FJU-66[NBu4]OH
Nodes / linkers: Cu · NDI tetracarboxydiimide
p. 22 · 2.2 · Fig. 12
MIL-53-type channels bearing acid, amino, hydroxy or unsubstituted BDC linkers that alter proton-donating ability and guest interactions.
Conduction: Functional groups regulate water or ammonia uptake, proton donation and channel hydrogen-bond networks.
Representative materials: MIL-53(Al)-(COOH)2 · MIL-53(Al)-NH2 · MIL-53(Al)-OH · MIL-53(Cr)
Nodes / linkers: Al · Fe · Cr · 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate · functionalised BDC
pp. 20, 27, 29 · 2.1, 3.2.3 and 3.4 · Figs. 7, 18, 22; Table 2
Oxalate frameworks in which hydrophilic organic cations tune water uptake and proton conduction.
Conduction: More hydrophilic cations adsorb more water and provide higher proton conductivity by strengthening pore H-bond networks.
Representative materials: {NR3(CH2COOH)}-[MaMb(ox)3].nH2O · Et-FeCr · Bu-FeCr
Nodes / linkers: Mn-Cr · Fe-Cr · Fe-Fe · oxalate · carboxylated ammonium cations
p. 20 · 2.1 · Figs. 5-6
Layered oxalate frameworks containing water, ammonium and carboxylic acid groups that form ordered H-bond networks.
Conduction: Hydronium/water and ammonium-assisted hydrogen-bond networks support Grotthuss-type transport; dehydration and counterion substitution strongly reduce conductivity.
Representative materials: (NH4)2(H2adp)[Zn2(ox)3].3H2O · K2(H2adp)[Zn2(ox)3].3H2O
Nodes / linkers: Zn · oxalate · adipic acid
pp. 19, 24-25 · 2.1 and 3.2.1 · Figs. 2-4, 14
Zr-based UiO-66 derivatives bearing sulfonic or carboxylic acid groups that protonate confined water and stabilise conductive networks.
Conduction: Strong acid groups or hydrated cage networks lower proton-transfer barriers, but water positions/dynamics and cage connectivity govern long-range transport.
Representative materials: UiO-66-(SO3H)2 · UiO-66(Zr)-(CO2H)2
Nodes / linkers: Zr · terephthalate derivatives · sulfonic acid functional groups · carboxylic acid functional groups
pp. 21, 30-31 · 2.2 and 3.4 · Figs. 8, 23-24
Frameworks that incorporate hydroxide anions with water to construct OH--H2O chains despite hydroxide corrosivity.
Conduction: Hydroxide-water systems conduct through proton back transfer along H-bonded OH-/H2O networks.
Representative materials: NBu4-ZIF-8-OH · [Ni2(m-pymca)3]OH.nH2O
Nodes / linkers: Zn · Ni · 2-methylimidazolate · pymca
pp. 21-22 · 2.2 · Figs. 10-11
Review-level synthesis principles remain separate from primary-study recipes.
Add carboxylic, sulfonic or phosphonic acid sites that donate protons to confined water or ammonia and participate in pore H-bond networks.
Claimed effects: Raises carrier concentration and supports Grotthuss-like H3O+-H2O or NH4+-NH3 pathways.
Controlling variables: acid pKa · functional group density · pore hydrophilicity · guest water or ammonia loading
Representative materials: MIL-53 derivatives · UiO-66-(SO3H)2 · MIL-53(Al)-(COOH)2
Caveat: Strong acidity alone does not prove a pathway; guest positions, hydration state and structural integrity still matter.
p. 21 · 2.2 · Fig. 8
Adsorb pure NH3 into stable acid-functionalised MOFs so dangling acid groups convert part of NH3 to NH4+ and form NH4+/NH3 pathways.
Claimed effects: Demonstrates ammonia-mediated proton conduction without water when NH4+ species form in a continuous channel network.
Controlling variables: acid functional group pKa · NH3 pressure · pore geometry · NH3 uptake amount
Representative materials: MIL-53(Al)-(COOH)2
Caveat: Conductivity is still below the best humid systems and depends strongly on functional group acidity.
p. 27 · 3.2.3 · Table 2
Expose hydrophilic MOFs to ammonia-water vapour so NH3, NH4+ and H2O cooperate within channels.
Claimed effects: Can enhance conductivity by protonating the conducting medium and adding NH4+ H-bonding.
Controlling variables: aqueous NH3 concentration · temperature · initial water content · crystallinity after treatment
Representative materials: Ca-PiPhtA-NH3 · Co imidazole-dicarboxylate MOFs
Caveat: The review notes cases where treated-sample structures or guest compositions were not convincingly determined.
p. 26 · 3.2.2 · Fig. 17
Modify framework or cation hydrophilicity to increase water adsorption and produce continuous pore hydrogen-bond networks.
Claimed effects: Improves proton conductivity by completing the conducting medium network across pores.
Controlling variables: cation hydrophilicity · relative humidity · water content · channel continuity
Representative materials: Et-FeCr oxalate framework · Ca-PiPhtA · Co imidazole-dicarboxylate MOFs
Caveat: Conductivity may collapse upon dehydration or if treated samples lose crystallinity.
p. 20 · 2.1 · Fig. 6
Introduce OH- as a salt or counterion into robust frameworks so that water-assisted proton back transfer carries hydroxide-ion conduction.
Claimed effects: Creates OH--H2O degenerate pathways that can give Grotthuss-like anion transport.
Controlling variables: host alkaline stability · hydroxide salt identity · water adsorption · pore aperture
Representative materials: NBu4-ZIF-8-OH · FJU-66[EVIm]OH
Caveat: Small apertures can impose high activation energy despite forming the intended system.
p. 21 · 2.2 · Fig. 10
Use charge-compensating H3O+, NH4+ or related ions in anionic frameworks so the pore guest is also a proton carrier.
Claimed effects: Can increase carrier concentration and create proton-transfer networks without post-synthetic loading.
Controlling variables: framework charge · counterion identity · guest-water arrangement · H-bonding ability
Representative materials: (NH4)2(H2adp)[Zn2(ox)3].3H2O · (NH4)4[MnCr2(ox)6].4H2O
Caveat: Counterion substitution can preserve structure but remove H-bonding function, so crystallographic similarity alone is insufficient.
p. 24 · 3.2.1
Use inert and oxophilic metal nodes, strong metal-ligand bonds or protective linker chemistry before exposing MOFs to ammonia.
Claimed effects: Preserves porosity and crystallinity so ammonia can act as a conducting medium rather than decomposing the host.
Controlling variables: metal cation inertness · metal oxophilicity · ligand length · open metal sites · NH3 exposure temperature
Representative materials: MIL-53(Al) · MIL-101(Cr) · ZIF-8 · Ni2Cl2BBTA
Caveat: Some MOFs with high thermal stability still decompose at room temperature under NH3.
p. 24 · 3.1 · Table 1
These are the review authors’ synthesis, not newly measured results.
The review presents acid-functionalised MIL-53(Al) under pure NH3 as the first report of anhydrous NH3-mediated proton-conductive MOFs with crystallographic analysis.
Evidence basis: single_reference
Caveat: The cited work is listed as a ChemRxiv DOI in the bibliography.
p. 27 · 3.2.3 · Fig. 18
Aqueous-NH3 treatments can enhance proton conduction through combined protonation of the medium and NH4+ hydrogen-bonding.
Evidence basis: multi_reference
Caveat: Some treated materials lack convincing resolved structures, limiting mechanistic certainty.
p. 26 · 3.2.2
Hydration state can tune conductivity over many orders of magnitude by changing the dimensionality and completeness of pore hydrogen-bond networks.
Evidence basis: single_reference
Caveat: This is a clear example rather than a universal quantitative rule.
p. 19 · 2.1 · Figs. 3-4
Within related frameworks, hydrophilic pore/cation environments that adsorb more water generally produce higher proton conductivity.
Evidence basis: single_reference
Caveat: The review attributes the effect to H-bond networks but notes unresolved water positions in some cases.
p. 20 · 2.1 · Fig. 6
Hydroxide-water MOF systems are interpreted as OH- conduction through proton back transfer along hydrogen-bonded OH-/H2O networks.
Evidence basis: multi_reference
Caveat: Hydroxide incorporation requires alkaline-stable frameworks, and pore aperture can raise activation energy.
p. 22 · 2.2 · Fig. 11
Computational studies of proton mobility inside MOF pores remain scarce compared with experimental conductivity reports.
Evidence basis: review_reasoning
Caveat: The review discusses a small number of water-mediated examples rather than a general computational survey.
p. 29 · 3.4
Crystalline MOFs are valuable model platforms because they can reveal pore hydrogen-bond networks that are difficult to visualise in amorphous proton conductors.
Evidence basis: review_reasoning
Caveat: X-ray methods may still poorly resolve hydrogen positions, so neutron and NMR methods are often needed for dynamics.
p. 18 · 2.1
Ammonia is attractive as a water-like conducting medium but its corrosive gas-phase chemistry makes robust host frameworks essential.
Evidence basis: review_reasoning
Caveat: Much ammonia-mediated MOF literature actually involves NH4+-H2O rather than a pure NH4+-NH3 degenerate system.
p. 18 · 1. Introduction
MOF stability under NH3 correlates with metal-node inertness/oxophilicity, linker strength and ligand length, so stability design is inseparable from conductivity design.
Evidence basis: multi_reference
Caveat: Thermal stability does not guarantee ammonia stability.
p. 23 · 3.1 · Table 1
NH4+ counterions contribute not only extra carrier concentration but also local hydrogen bonding that facilitates proton transfer.
Evidence basis: single_reference
Caveat: Based on comparison with K+ substitution in a closely related framework.
p. 25 · 3.2.1 · Fig. 14
The review's concluding design factors for high proton conductivity are hydrophilic channels, acid species in pores/frameworks, and defect or disordered sites.
Evidence basis: review_reasoning
Caveat: The claim is a review synthesis and should guide chapter framing, not replace primary study comparison.
p. 31 · 4. Conclusions and prospects
QENS and solid-state NMR are highlighted as powerful probes for the local and diffusive motions of protic species in MOF pores.
Evidence basis: multi_reference
Caveat: Hydrogen positions and motions can remain difficult to connect to macroscopic conductivity without complementary structural analysis.
p. 27 · 3.3
Low-pKa acid groups such as sulfonic acid are especially effective because they can stoichiometrically generate hydronium when water coexists.
Evidence basis: multi_reference
Caveat: Exact water positions may remain undetermined, so mechanistic assignments can be indirect.
p. 21 · 2.2
Water is the dominant proton-conducting medium in MOFs because it combines a degenerate conjugate acid-base system with strong tetrahedral hydrogen-bonding capability.
Evidence basis: multi_reference
Caveat: The review distinguishes water-mediated MOFs from amorphous polymer electrolytes where inner H-bond structures are harder to visualise.
p. 17 · 1. Introduction · Scheme 1
Every row remains visibly secondary and links to a primary dossier only where the mapping is verified.
| Material | Property | Reported value | Context and quality | Primary evidence | Review source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SecondaryCa-PiPhtA-NH3 | proton conductivity | 6.6 x 10^-3 S cm^-1 | 24 C, 98% RH Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 26 · 3.2.2 · Fig. 16 |
| SecondaryCo imidazole-dicarboxylate MOFs 1 and 2 | proton conductivity | 2.89 x 10^-2 and 4.25 x 10^-2 S cm^-1 | 100 C, 7.4 M aqueous-NH3 vapour Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 26 · 3.2.2 · Fig. 17 |
| SecondaryEt-FeCr oxalate framework | proton conductivity | above 10^-4 S cm^-1 | 25 C, 80% RH Text · Approximate | No verified corpus mapping | p. 20 · 2.1 · Fig. 6 |
| SecondaryFJU-66[EVIm]OH | ionic conductivity | 5.7 x 10^-2 S cm^-1 | 30 C, 95% RH Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 22 · 2.2 · Fig. 12 |
| Secondary(NH4)2(H2adp)[Zn2(ox)3] hydration-state series | proton conductivity tunability | 10^-12 to 10^-2 S cm^-1 | 25 C; anhydrate to trihydrate/98% RH states Text · Range | research_0324 | p. 19 · 2.1 · Figs. 3-4 |
| Secondary(NH4)2(H2adp)[Zn2(ox)3].3H2O | proton conductivity | 0.8 x 10^-2 S cm^-1 | 25 C, 98% RH Text · Exact Reported | research_0220 | p. 19 · 2.1 · Fig. 2 |
| SecondaryK2(H2adp)[Zn2(ox)3].3H2O | proton conductivity | 1.2 x 10^-4 S cm^-1 | 25 C, 98% RH Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 25 · 3.2.1 · Fig. 14 |
| SecondaryMIL-53(Al)-(COOH)2 under NH3 | NH3-mediated proton conductivity | 4.9 x 10^-7 S cm^-1 at 100 kPa NH3; 2.56 x 10^-5 S cm^-1 under saturated NH3 pressure | 298 K and 100 kPa NH3 for table value; saturated NH3 pressure at 290 K for higher value Table · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 27 · 3.2.3 · Table 2 |
| Secondary(NH4)4[MnCr2(ox)6].4H2O | proton conductivity | 1.1 x 10^-3 S cm^-1; improved to 1.7 x 10^-3 S cm^-1 | 96% RH; improved at 313 K Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 25 · 3.2.1 · Fig. 15 |
| SecondaryNBu4-ZIF-8-OH | ionic conductivity | 2.3 x 10^-8 S cm^-1 | 99% RH, 25 C Text · Exact Reported | research_0464 | p. 21 · 2.2 · Fig. 10 |
| Secondary[Ni2(m-pymca)3]OH.nH2O | ionic conductivity | 0.8 x 10^-4 S cm^-1 | 99% RH, 27 C Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 21 · 2.2 · Fig. 11 |
| SecondaryUiO-66-(SO3H)2 | proton conductivity | 0.84 x 10^-1 S cm^-1 | 80 C, 90% RH Text · Exact Reported | No verified corpus mapping | p. 21 · 2.2 · Fig. 8 |
Open questions are presented as review-author priorities, not conclusions from the primary database.
There are few computational studies of proton mobility inside MOF pores compared with experimental conductivity reports.
Proposed direction: Extend MD/aMS-EVB and related simulations across more framework structures and conducting media.
p. 31 · 3.4
Structural analysis of NH3-confined MOFs remains scarce because high-conductivity NH3/H2O conditions often challenge MOF stability.
Proposed direction: Develop robust MOFs and operando/guest-sensitive structural methods that can resolve NH3, NH4+ and water arrangements.
p. 31 · 4. Conclusions and prospects
High proton conductivity must be balanced with MOF stability in water, NH3 and redox environments for practical fuel-cell use.
Proposed direction: Prioritise inert/oxophilic metal species, strong bonds, and stability tests under relevant humid, ammonia and redox conditions.
p. 31 · 4. Conclusions and prospects
Some aqueous-NH3 enhanced conductors lack resolved treated-sample structures and guest compositions.
Proposed direction: Pair conductivity tests with crystallographic, spectroscopic and compositional analysis after NH3/H2O exposure.
p. 26 · 3.2.2
Mappings show which printed review references have a verified counterpart in the frozen primary corpus.
| Reference | Study | Role and context | Corpus mapping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ref. 362015 | Title unavailable | synthesis_strategy · transport_benchmarkPost-synthetic sulfonic-acid functionalisation of UiO-66 is used to illustrate strong-acid proton donation in humid MOF channels. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 372011 | Title unavailable | material_family · transport_benchmarkMIL-53 derivatives with different functional groups are cited for pKa and acid-group control of proton conduction. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 442004 | Title unavailable | mechanism_contextUsed for detailed hydronium-water conduction mechanism involving Zundel and Eigen species. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 472009 | Title unavailable | transport_benchmark · structure_propertyFoundational crystalline oxalate-honeycomb example with ammonium, water and carboxylic acid H-bond network and high humid conductivity. | research_0220 |
| Ref. 482014 | Title unavailable | hydration_state · structure_propertyHydrate/dihydrate/anhydrate comparison used for conductivity control by H-bond network change. | research_0324 |
| Ref. 492012 | Title unavailable | hydrophilicity · transport_benchmarkCation hydrophilicity series used to link water adsorption, H-bond networks and conductivity. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 522014 | Title unavailable | hydroxide_conduction · synthesis_strategyBasic design of hydroxide-ion-conductive MOFs using salt inclusion in ZIF-8. | research_0464 |
| Ref. 552016 | Title unavailable | hydroxide_conduction · transport_benchmarkCationic MOF containing OH- and water in 1-D channels, used for OH--H2O conduction evidence. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 562017 | Title unavailable | hydroxide_conduction · transport_benchmarkHydroxide salts in alkaline-stable FJU-66 are cited for high OH-/water conductivity. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 622014 | Title unavailable | stability · table_benchmarkSystematic NH3 stability study of multiple MOFs, summarised in the review's Table 1. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 662018 | Title unavailable | stability · ammonia_adsorptionIsoreticular MOF ammonia adsorption and stability comparison supporting metal kinetic inertness arguments. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 712014 | Title unavailable | counterion_comparison · transport_benchmarkNH4+ versus K+ substitution study used to show the functional role of ammonium H-bonding. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 722011 | Title unavailable | ammonium_counterion · transport_benchmark3-D chiral oxalate network with ammonium and water in channels, used as humid NH4+-mediated proton-conduction example. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 732014 | Title unavailable | aqueous_nh3 · transport_benchmarkCalcium phosphonate framework treated with aqueous NH3, used to illustrate cooperative NH3-H2O adsorption and conductivity enhancement. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 742017 | Title unavailable | aqueous_nh3 · transport_benchmarkAqueous-NH3 concentration study in water-channel Co MOFs, used for synergy and mechanism caveats. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 762018 | 10.26434/chemrxiv.7319273.v110.26434/chemrxiv.7319273.v1 | anhydrous_nh3 · nmr · transport_benchmarkAnhydrous NH3-mediated conductivity and NMR dynamics in functionalised MIL-53(Al), cited as first crystallographic analysis example. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 772014 | Title unavailable | qens · dynamicsNeutron scattering study connecting NH4+ and water dynamics with phase transition and proton conduction. | Unmapped |
| Ref. 782013 | Title unavailable | computational_mechanismMD/aMS-EVB water-mediated proton mobility simulation in MIL-53(Cr). | Unmapped |
| Ref. 812016 | Title unavailable | qens · computational_mechanism · transport_benchmarkJoint QENS/MD study of water-mediated proton transfer in carboxylic-acid UiO-66, used for diffusion and mechanism discussion. | research_0236 |