# Chemists synthesize single-crystal 2D metal-organic covalent organic frameworks

- Published: 2026-11-06 17:33 UTC
- Section: Science › Chemistry
- Tags: 2D MOCOFs, PUMC-1, coordination-directed synthesis, reticular chemistry, electron diffraction
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-2cea961090869cb621b2ddad_chemists_synthesize_single/

**Researchers produced single-crystal 2D MOCOFs in the laboratory, confirming a coordination-directed assembly mechanism.**

![Chemists synthesize single-crystal 2D metal-organic covalent organic frameworks](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/0fdc28ffa41f554d.jpg)
*Image from Science Museum Group https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

A research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Nankai University, Hong Kong Baptist University, and City University of Hong Kong has developed two single-crystal two-dimensional metal-organic covalent organic frameworks (MOCOFs), designated PUMC-1 and PUMC-2 [1]. According to a study published in Nature Communications, the work expands the structural dimensionality of MOCOFs, which were previously limited to a few three-dimensional architectures, and clarifies whether their network growth is governed by coordination or covalent pathways [1].

## Structural assembly and characterization

To construct the porous frameworks, the researchers utilized two distinct sub-building units: tetrakis(4-aminophenyl) porphyrin and cobalt(II) trans-A₂B₂ porphyrin [1]. The reaction first yields one-dimensional coordination polymers (1D CPs) equipped with covalent extension sites [1]. These intermediate linear polymers then undergo covalent self-assembly under controlled conditions to form two separate 2D MOCOF conformations [1].

The team resolved the atomic structures and analyzed the multi-step crystallization sequence by leveraging three-dimensional electron diffraction [1]. The experimental data showed that the targeted porous crystalline networks exhibit high structural order across their layers [1].

## Synthesis pathway and mechanism

The authors observed that the identical 2D MOCOFs could also be produced directly via a one-pot synthesis combining the same precursor monomers [1]. Generating the exact same single-crystal frameworks through both stepwise and one-pot methods provided direct experimental evidence that the framework formation follows a coordination-directed covalent assembly mechanism [1].

Prior to this work, characterization challenges had left the reaction trajectory of metal-organic covalent frameworks unresolved [1]. The synthesis of PUMC-1 and PUMC-2 establishes a verifiable coordination-directed route for fabricating lower-dimensional hybrid crystalline architectures, broadening design strategies within reticular chemistry [1].

## Sources

1. [Nature Communications](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-79250-w)

---

Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-2cea961090869cb621b2ddad_chemists_synthesize_single/