Metal-organic frameworks for aromatic hydrocarbon separations

A method of separating and/or storing one or more aromatic hydrocarbons from a mixture comprising aromatic hydrocarbons comprising contacting the mixture with a MOF comprising a repeating core having the general structure M-L-M, wherein M is a metal or metal ion, and L is a linking moiety comprising a structure of Formula I, II and/or Formula III:

• wherein,
• R1-R10 are independently selected from H, D, FG, optionally substituted (C1-C12)alkyl, optionally substituted hetero-(C1-C12)alkyl, optionally substituted (C1-C12)alkenyl, optionally substituted hetero-(C1-C12)alkenyl, optionally substituted (C1-C12)alkynyl, optionally substituted hetero-(C1-C12)alkynyl, optionally substituted (C1-C12)cycloalkyl, optionally substituted (C1-C12)cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted heterocycle, optionally substituted mixed ring system, —C(R11)3, —CH(R11)2, —CH2R11, —C(R12)3, —CH(R12)2, —CH2R12, —OC(R11)3, OCH(R11)2, —OCH2R11, —OC(R12)3, —OCH(R12)2, OCH2R12;
• R11 is selected from FG, optionally substituted (C1-C12)alkyl, optionally substituted hetero-(C1-C12)alkyl, optionally substituted (C1-C12)alkenyl, optionally substituted hetero-(C1-C12)alkenyl, optionally substituted (C1-C12)alkynyl, optionally substituted hetero-(C1-C12)alkynyl, hemiacetal, hemiketal, acetal, ketal, and orthoester;
• and
• R12 is selected from one or more substituted or unsubstituted rings selected from cycloalkyl, aryl and heterocycle;
• wherein the MOF comprises coordinatively-unsaturated metal cation sites, and wherein the MOF is a selective adsorbent for aromatic hydrocarbons by having multiple unsaturated metal cation sites that can come into contact with an aromatic hydrocarbon to form multiple metal site-hydrocarbon molecule interactions.