Crystal Engineering on Cu-Triazolate MOFs via Mixed-Linker Modulation for Selective Azeotropic Ethanol Dehydration.

A mixed-linker synthetic strategy was employed to engineer the morphology of copper-triazolate metal-organic frameworks (Cu-Tz MOFs) through controlled crystal growth. By incorporating amino- and thioether-functionalized triazole alongside the parent triazole linkers, the framework's hydrophilicity, pore cavity, and surface chemistry were systematically modulated. Upon thermal activation, the resulting mixed-linker MOFs revealed accessible Cu(II) open metal sites, together with enhanced hydrophilicity and porosity within the framework. These features synergistically contribute to superior water removal performance from azeotropic water-ethanol mixtures, outperforming the parent CuTz in separation efficiency.