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Pillared paddle-wheel-based metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are an attractive target as they offer a reliable method for constructing well-defined, multifunctional materials. A drawback of these materials, which has limited their application, is their tendency to form catenated frameworks with little accessible volume. To eliminate this disadvantage, it is necessary to investigate strategies for constructing non-catenated pillared paddle-wheel MOFs. Hydrogen-bonding substituents on linkers have been postulated to prevent catenation in certain frameworks and, in this work, we present a new MOF to further bolster this theory. Using 2,2′-diamino-[1,1′-biphenyl]-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, BPDC-(NH2)2, linkers and dipyridyl glycol, DPG, pillars, we assembled a MOF with pcu topology. The new material is non-catenated, exhibiting large accessible pores and low density. To the best of our knowledge, this material constitutes the pcu framework with the largest pore volume and lowest density. We attribute the lack of catenation to the presence of H-bonding substituents on both linkers. 

We exploit orthogonal chemical reactivity to generate uniformly multifunctionalized confined spaces. A metal–organic framework (MOF) material that has azide and hydroxyl reactive groups in well-defined locations is independently functionalized to yield a uniformly bifunctionalized material via multiple paths, including via a simultaneous, one-pot reaction.