A versatile environmental control cell forin situguest exchange single-crystal diffraction

In situsingle-crystal diffraction experiments provide researchers with the opportunity to study the response of crystalline systems, including metal–organic frameworks and other nanoporous materials, to changing local microenvironments. This paper reports a new environmental control cell that is remarkably easy to use, completely reusable, and capable of delivering static or dynamic vacuum, liquids or gases to a single-crystal sample. Furthermore the device is nearly identical in size to standard single-crystal mounts so a full unrestricted range of motion is expected for most commercial goniometers.In situsingle-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments performed under dynamic gas-flow conditions revealed the cell was capable of stabilizing a novel metastable intermediate in the dehydration reaction of a previously reported metal–organic framework.