Methyl-rotation dynamics in metal-organic frameworks probed with terahertz spectroscopy

In ZIF-8 and its cobalt analogue ZIF-67, the imidazolate methyl-groups, which point directly into the void space, have been shown to freely rotate-even down to cryogenic temperatures. Using a combination of experimental terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, low-frequency Raman spectroscopy, and state-of-the-art ab initio simulations, the methyl-rotor dynamics in ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 are fully characterized within the context of a quantum-mechanical hindered-rotor model. The results lend insight into the fundamental origins of the experimentally observed methyl-rotor dynamics, and provide valuable insight into the nature of the weak interactions present within this important class of materials.