Cobalt-manganese bimetallic organic frameworks catalyzed solvent-free oxidation of benzyl C-H bonds with O_(2) as sole oxidant

The selective oxidation of hydrocarbons can be used to produce oxygen-containing functional compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes or ketones and its efficient and green conversion lies in the development of efficient catalysts that activate C-H bonds and O_(2) simultaneously. In this work, the bimetallic organic framework (CoMnBDC) material with morphology of stacked nanosheets was synthesized using terephthalic acid as ligands to coordinate with Co^(2+) and Mn^(2+) cations under solvothermal conditions. As revealed by spectroscopic characterizations, the electron transfer from Mn to Co in the CoMnBDC resulted in the reduction of the Co average oxidation state and increase of the Mn average oxidation state. The CoMnBDC nanosheets were used as catalyst in catalytic oxidation of ethylbenzene, in which the redox effect promotes the effective electron transfer, the activation of O_(2) and benzyl C-H bond. The 96.2% conversion of ethylbenzene and 98.0% selectivity towards acetophenone could be obtained with oxygen as sole oxidant and solvent-free condition. The excellent catalytic performance is related to the structure of CoMnBDC and is also the best when compared with reported results. Various types of aromatic hydrocarbons containing benzyl C-H bonds can be effectively oxidized by CoMnBDC to produce corresponding ketone products. The density functional theory (DFT) calculation revealed that the redox effect leads to the relative enrichment of electrons on Co in CoMnBDC, which is conducive to the activation of O_(2);Mn with higher oxidation state is beneficial for the adsorption of ethylbenzene and activation of C-H bonds. The CoMnBDC has a lower energy barrier for transition state, making it easier for the ethylbenzene oxidation to produce acetophenone.

Structure regulating of metal clusters in carbonized metallic organic frameworks for high-efficient microwave absorption via tuning interaction strength between metals and ligands

Carbonized metallic organic frameworks(CMOF)have been attracting attention in microwave absorption(MA)research area because of their diverse structures,tunable compositions,and rich porosity.Herein,structure regulation on metal clusters in CMOF is achieved by tuning the interaction strength between metals and ligands to enhance microwave absorption performance.Due to relatively weak interaction among copper cations and ligands,copper nanoclusters(CuNC)can be uniformly formed and embedded within the cobalt/zinc(Co/Zn)CMOF.Firstly,copper cations are added to the Co/Zn bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate frameworks(ZIFs).Secondly,the CMOF composite particles with CuNCs(CuNCs/CoZn-CMOF)were developed by a pyrolysis process.The CuNCs/CoZn-CMOF with an appropriate amount of CuNCs can harmonize both dielectric and magnetic losses.As a result,the minimum reflection loss(RLmin)reaches–45.1 dB at a matching thickness of 2.30 mm and the effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)is 8.80 GHz at a thickness of 3.10 mm.The broadband response to electromagnetic waves is attributed to interfacial polarization at CuNCs surface and heterogeneous interfaces,impedance matching and multiple scattering of electromagnetic waves.This study provides a feasible method to develop CMOF microwave absorption materials with high EAB values.

Three-dimensional porous bimetallic metal–organic framework/gelatin aerogels: A readily recyclable peroxymonosulfate activator for efficient and continuous organic dye removal

As promising catalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants,metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)often face limitations due to the particle agglomeration and challenging recovery in liquid-catalysis application,stemming from their powdery nature.Engineering macroscopic structures from pulverous MOF is thus of great importance for broadening their practical applications.In this study,three-dimensional porous MOF aerogel catalysts were successfully fabricated for degrading organic dyes by activating peroxymonosulfate(PMS).MOF/gelatin aerogel(MOF/GA)catalysts were prepared by directly integrating bimetallic FeCo-BDC with gelatin solutions,followed by freeze-drying and low-temperature calcination.The FeCo-BDC-0.15/GA/PMS system exhibited remarkable performance in degrading various organic dyes,eliminating 99.2%of rhodamine B within a mere 5 min.Compared to the GA/PMS system,there was over a 300-fold increase in the reaction rate constant.Remarkably,high removal efficiency was maintained across varying conditions,including different solution pH,co-existing inorganic anions,and natural water matrices.Radical trapping experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analysis revealed that the degradation involved radical(SO_(4)^(-)·)and non-radical routes(^(1)O_(2)),of which ^(1)O_(2) was dominant.Furthermore,even after a continuous 400-min reaction in a fixed-bed reactor at a liquid hourly space velocity of 27 h^(-1),the FeCo-BDC/GA composite sustained a degradation efficiency exceeding 98.7%.This work presents highly active MOF-gelatin aerogels for dye degradation and expands the potential for their large-scale,continuous treatment application in organic dye wastewater management.

Metal-Organic Framework Enabling Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Dendrite-Free and Long-Lifespan Sodium Metal Batteries

Sodium dentrite formed by uneven plating/stripping can reduce the utilization of active sodium with poor cyclic stability and,more importantly,cause internal short circuit and lead to thermal runaway and fire.Therefore,sodium dendrites and their related problems seriously hinder the practical application of sodium metal batteries(SMBs).Herein,a design concept for the incorporation of metal-organic framework(MOF)in polymer matrix(polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene)is practiced to prepare a novel gel polymer electrolyte(PH@MOF polymer-based electrolyte[GPE])and thus to achieve high-performance SMBs.The addition of the MOF particles can not only reduce the movement hindrance of polymer chains to promote the transfer of Na^(+)but also anchor anions by virtue of their negative charge to reduce polarization during electrochemical reaction.A stable cycling performance with tiny overpotential for over 800 h at a current density of 5 mA cm^(-2)with areal capacity of 5 mA h cm^(-2)is achieved by symmetric cells based on the resulted GPE while the Na_(3)V_(2)O_(2)(PO_(4))_(2)F@rGO(NVOPF)|PH@MOF|Nacell also displays impressive specific cycling capacity(113.3 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C)and rate capability with considerable capacity retention.

Nanoengineering Metal–Organic Frameworks and Derivatives for Electrosynthesis of Ammonia

Electrocatalytic synthesis under mild conditions has become increasingly important as one of the practical alternatives for industrial applications,especially for the green ammonia(NH_(3))industry.A properly engineered electrocatalyst plays a vital role in the realization of superior catalytic performance.Among various types of promising nanomaterials,metal–organic frameworks(MOFs)are competitive candidates for developing efficient electrocatalytic NH_(3) synthesis from simple nitrogen-containing molecules or ions,such as N_(2) and NO_(3)^(−).In this review,recent advances in the development of electrocatalysts derived from MOFs for the electrosynthesis of NH_(3) are collected,categorized,and discussed,including their application in the N_(2) reduction reaction(NRR)and the NO_(3)^(−)reduction reaction(NO3RR).Firstly,the fundamental principles are illustrated,such as plausible mechanisms of NH_(3) generation from N_(2) and NO_(3)^(−),the apparatus of corresponding electrocatalysis,parameters for evaluation of reaction efficiency,and detection methods of yielding NH_(3).Then,the electrocatalysts for NRR processes are discussed in detail,including pristine MOFs,MOF-hybrids,MOF-derived N-doped porous carbons,single atomic catalysts from pyrolysis of MOFs,and other MOF-related materials.Subsequently,MOF-related NO3RR processes are also listed and discussed.Finally,the existing challenges and prospects for the rational design and fabrication of electrocatalysts from MOFs for electrochemical NH_(3) synthesis are presented,such as the evolution of investigation methods with artificial intelligence,innovation in synthetic methods of MOF-related catalysts,advancement of characterization techniques,and extended electrocatalytic reactions.

Metal-organic frameworks with mixed-ligands strategy as heterogeneous nucleation center to assist crystallization for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells

Deep-level defects and random oriented configuration in perovskite crystallization process would cause the nonradiative recombination and further affect the performance of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Herein,two metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)with tunable Lewis-base passivation sites have been constructed(Cd-Httb and Cd-Httb-BDC,Httb=5-(4-(1H-1,2,4-triazole-1-yl)benzyl)-1h-tetrazole,BDC=1,4-dicarboxybenzene)to eliminate deep-level defects and simultaneously as nanostructured heterogeneous nucleation seed to assist the growth of large-grained perovskite films.Compared with the control and Cd-Httb,Cd-Httb-BDC designed with mix-ligands strategy exhibited the enhanced inducted effect on the crystallization and nucleation of high-quality perovskite films during annealing process.Consequently,the resultant Cd-Httb-BDC-modified device achieved higher power conversion efficiency(PCE)(22.18%)than the control(20.89%)and Cd-Httb(21.56%).Meanwhile,the unencapsulated Cd-Httb-BDC-modified device still maintained 90%of initial PCE after 1500 h in ambient conditions and exhibited enhanced thermal stability(85℃ in N_(2) atmosphere).This work presented a successful example of mixligands strategy on construction of high-quality MOF-assisted perovskite films for high-efficient and stable PSCs.

Integrated electrocatalysts derived from metal organic frameworks for gas-involved reactions

Integrated electrocatalysts(IECs)containing well-defined functional materials directly grown on the current collector have sparked increasing interest in the fields of electrocatalysis owing to efficient activity,high stability and the fact that they are easily assembled into devices.Recently,metal organic frameworks(MOFs)provide a promising platform for constructing advanced IECs because of their properties of low cost,large surface area and efficient structural tunability.In this review,the design principles of state-of-the-art IECs based on MOFs are presented,including by hydrothermal/solvothermal,template-directed,electrospinning,electrodeposition and other methods.The high performance of MOF-derived IECs has also been demonstrated in electrocatalytic gasinvolved reactions.This is promising for green energy storage and conversion.The structure-activity relationship and performance improvement mechanism of IECs are uncovered by discussing some in situ technologies for IECs.Finally,we provide an outlook on the challenges and prospects in this booming field.

Large-scale computational screening of metal–organic frameworks for D_(2)/H_(2) separation

Deuterium(D_(2)) is one of the important fuel sources that power nuclear fusion reactors. The existing D_(2)/H_(2) separation technologies that obtain high-purity D_(2) are cost-intensive. Recent research has shown that metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) are of good potential for D_(2)/H_(2) separation application. In this work, a high-throughput computational screening of 12020 computation-ready experimental MOFs is carried out to determine the best MOFs for hydrogen isotope separation application. Meanwhile, the detailed structure-performance correlation is systematically investigated with the aid of machine learning. The results indicate that the ideal D_(2)/H_(2) adsorption selectivity calculated based on Henry coefficient is strongly correlated with the 1/ΔAD feature descriptor;that is, inverse of the adsorbility difference of the two adsorbates. Meanwhile, the machine learning(ML) results show that the prediction accuracy of all the four ML methods is significantly improved after the addition of this feature descriptor. In addition, the ML results based on extreme gradient boosting model also revealed that the 1/ΔAD descriptor has the highest relative importance compared to other commonly-used descriptors. To further explore the effect of hydrogen isotope separation in binary mixture, 1548 MOFs with ideal adsorption selectivity greater than 1.5 are simulated at equimolar conditions. The structure-performance relationship shows that high adsorption selectivity MOFs generally have smaller pore size(0.3-0.5 nm) and lower surface area. Among the top 200 performers, the materials mainly have the sql, pcu, cds, hxl, and ins topologies.Finally, three MOFs with high D_(2)/H_(2) selectivity and good D_(2) uptake are identified as the best candidates,of all which had one-dimensional channel pore. The findings obtained in this work may be helpful for the identification of potentially promising candidates for hydrogen isotope separation.

Structural survey of metal-covalent organic frameworks and covalent metal-organic frameworks

This review offers an overview of the latest developments in metal-covalent organic framework(MCOF)and covalent metal-organic framework(CMOF)materials,whose construction entails a combination of reversible coordination and covalent bonding adapted from metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)and covalent organic frameworks(COFs),respectively.With an emphasis on the MCOF and CMOF structures,this review surveys their building blocks and topologies.Specifically,the frameworks are classified based on the dimensions of their components(building blocks),namely,discrete building blocks and one-dimensional infinite building blocks.For the first category,the materials are further divided into collections of two-and three-dimensional networks based on their topologies.For the second category,the recently emerging MCOFs with woven structures are covered.Finally,the state-of-the-art in MCOF and CMOF chemistry has been laid out for promising avenues in future developments.

Ethylene purification in a metal–organic framework over a wide temperature range via pore confinement

The separation of C2H4from C_(2)H_(6)/C_(2)H_(4)mixture is of great importance but difficult and energy intensive. Adsorptive separation provides an alternative approach to ameliorate this situation. Here, we report a microporous metal–organic framework(MOF) BUT-315-a as a C_(2)H_(6)-selective adsorbent for the separation of C2H6/C2H4gas mixture. BUT-315-a combines good IAST selectivity of 2.35 with high C_(2)H_(6)uptake of 97.5 cm^(3)g^(-1), giving superior high separation potential ΔQ(2226 mmol L^(-1)) for equimolar C_(2)H_(6)/C_(2)H_(4) at 298 K. Impressively, such excellent performance can be preserved at higher temperatures of 313 and 323 K to accommodate industrial conditions. Efficient dynamic separation performance of BUT-315-a has been demonstrated by column breakthrough experiments under varied temperatures and gas ratios. Theoretical calculations further reveal multiple synergistic interactions between C_(2)H_(6) and the framework. This work highlights a new benchmark material for C_(2)H_(6)/C_(2)H_(4)separation and provides guidance for designing adsorbent for separation applications.

Deep dive into anionic metal-organic frameworks based quasi-solid-state electrolytes

The development and application of high-capacity energy storage has been crucial to the global transition from fossil fuels to green energy.In this context,metal-organic frameworks(MOFs),with their unique 3D porous structure and tunable chemical functionality,have shown enormous potential as energy storage materials for accommodating or transporting electrochemically active ions.In this perspective,we specifically focus on the current status and prospects of anionic MOF-based quasi-solid-state-electrolytes(anionic MOF-QSSEs)for lithium metal batteries(LMBs).An overview of the definition,design,and properties of anionic MOF-QSSEs is provided,including recent advances in the understanding of their ion transport mechanism.To illustrate the advantages of using anionic MOF-QSSEs as electrolytes for LMBs,a thorough comparison between anionic MOF-QSSEs and other well-studied electrolyte systems is made.With these in-depth understandings,viable techniques for tuning the chemical and topological properties of anionic MOF-QSSEs to increase Li+conductivity are discussed.Beyond modulation of the MOFs matrix,we envisage that solvent and solid-electrolyte interphase design as well as emerging fabrication techniques will aid in the design and practical application of anionic MOF-QSSEs.

A Review of Metal–Organic Framework-Based Compounds for Environmental Applications

Metal–organic framework-based compounds have recently gained great attention because of their unique porous structure,ordered porosity,and high specific surface area.Benefiting from these superior properties,metal–organic framework-based compounds have been proven to be one of the most potential candidates for environmental governance and remediation.In this review,the different types of metal–organic framework-based compounds are first summarized.Further,the various environmental applications of metal–organic framework-based compounds including organic pollutant removal,toxic and hazardous gas capture,heavy metal ion detection,gas separation,water harvesting,air purification,and carbon dioxide reduction reactions are discussed in detail.In the end,the opportunities and challenges for the future development of metal–organic framework-based compounds for environmental applications are highlighted.

Metal–Organic Framework-Based Sensors for Environmental Contaminant Sensing

Increasing demand for timely and accurate environmental pollution monitoring and control requires new sensing techniques with outstanding performance, i.e.,high sensitivity, high selectivity, and reliability. Metal–organic frameworks(MOFs), also known as porous coordination polymers, are a fascinating class of highly ordered crystalline coordination polymers formed by the coordination of metal ions/clusters and organic bridging linkers/ligands. Owing to their unique structures and properties,i.e., high surface area, tailorable pore size, high density of active sites, and high catalytic activity, various MOF-based sensing platforms have been reported for environmental contaminant detection including anions, heavy metal ions,organic compounds, and gases. In this review, recent progress in MOF-based environmental sensors is introduced with a focus on optical, electrochemical, and field-effect transistor sensors. The sensors have shown unique and promising performance in water and gas contaminant sensing. Moreover, by incorporation with other functional materials, MOF-based composites can greatly improve the sensor performance. The current limitations and future directions of MOF-based sensors are also discussed.

Metal-organic frameworks for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide: The role of metal centers

Direct electrochemical reduction of CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuel is one of the most promising approaches to address the current energy crisis and lower CO2 emission.Recently,numerous metal-organic framework(MOF)and their derived materials have extensively been developed as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction owing to their unique structure including porosity,large specific surface area,and tunable chemical structures.In this review,the recent progress of MOF-based electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction was summarized and discussed.Detailed discussions mainly focus on the synthesis and mechanism of pristine MOFs and MOF-derived materials for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.These examples are expected to provide clues to rational design and synthesis of stable and high-performance MOFs-based electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction.

Applications of metal–organic frameworks for green energy and environment: New advances in adsorptive gas separation, storage and removal

The separation of gas molecules with similar physicochemical properties is of high importance but practically entails a substantial energy penalty in chemical industry. Meanwhile, clean energy gases such as H_2 and CH_4 are considered as promising candidates for the replacement of traditional fossil fuels. However, the technologies for the storage of these gases are still immature. In addition, the release of anthropogenic toxic gases into the atmosphere is a worldwide threat of growing concern. Both in academia and industry, considerable research efforts have been devoted to developing advanced porous materials for the effective and energy-efficient separation, storage, or capture of the related gases. In contrast to conventional inorganic porous materials such as zeolites and activated carbons, metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) are considered as a type of promising materials for gas separation and storage. In this contribution, we review the recent research advance of MOFs in some relevant applications, including CO_2 capture, O_2 purification, separation of light hydrocarbons, separation of noble gases, storage of gases(CH_4,H_2, and C_2 H_2) for energy, and removal of some gaseous air pollutants(NH_3, NO_2, and SO_2). Finally, an outlook regarding the challenges of the future research of MOFs in these directions is given.

Peroxymonosulfate activation by Mn_3O_4/metal-organic framework for degradation of refractory aqueous organic pollutant rhodamine B

An environmentally friendly Mn‐oxide‐supported metal‐organic framework(MOF),Mn3O4/ZIF‐8,was successfully prepared using a facile solvothermal method,with a formation mechanism proposed.The composite was characterized using X‐ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,X‐ray photoelectron microscopy,and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy.After characterization,the MOF was used to activate peroxymonosulfate(PMS)for degradation of the refractory pollutant rhodamine B(RhB)in water.The composite prepared at a0.5:1mass ratio of Mn3O4to ZIF‐8possessed the highest catalytic activity with negligible Mn leaching.The maximum RhB degradation of approximately98%was achieved at0.4g/L0.5‐Mn/ZIF‐120,0.3g/L PMS,and10mg/L initial RhB concentration at a reaction temperature of23°C.The RhB degradation followed first‐order kinetics and was accelerated with increased0.5‐Mn/ZIF‐120and PMS dosages,decreased initial RhB concentration,and increased reaction temperature.Moreover,quenching tests indicated that?OH was the predominant radical involved in the RhB degradation;the?OH mainly originated from SO4??and,hence,PMS.Mn3O4/ZIF‐8also displayed good reusability for RhB degradation in the presence of PMS over five runs,with a RhB degradation efficiency of more than96%and Mn leaching of less than5%for each run.Based on these findings,a RhB degradation mechanism was proposed.

Magnetic metal organic framework for pre-concentration of ampicillin from cow milk samples

The aim of this study is a present of a simple solvothermal synthesis approach to preparation of Cu-based magnetic metal organic framework(MMOF)and subsequently its application as sorbent for ultrasound assisted magnetic solid phase extraction(UAMSPE)of ampicillin(AMP)from cow milk samples prior to high performance liquid chromatography-Ultraviolet(HPLC-UV)determination.Characteristics of prepared MMOF were fully investigated by different techniques which showed the exclusive properties of proposed sorbent in terms of proper functionality,desirable magnetic property and also high specific surface area.Different influential factors on extraction recovery including sorbent dosage,ultrasonic time,washing solvent volume and eluent solvent volume were assessed using central composite design(CCD)based response surface methodology(RSM)as an operative and powerful optimization tool.This is the first report for determination of AMP using MMOF.The proposed method addressed some drawbacks of other methods and sorbents for determination of AMP.The presented method decreases the extraction time(4 min)and also enhances adsorption capacity(250 mg/g).Moreover,the magnetic property of presented sorbent(15 emu/g)accelerates the extraction process which does not need filtration,centrifuge and precipitation procedures.Under the optimized conditions,the proposed method is applicable for linear range of 1.0-5000.0 μg/L with detection limit of 0.29 μg/L,satisfactory recoveries(≥95.0%)and acceptable repeatability(RSD less than 4.0%).The present study indicates highly promising perspectives of MMOF for highly effective analysis of AMP in complicated matrices.

Recent Progress on Metal–Organic Framework and Its Derivatives as Novel Fire Retardants to Polymeric Materials

High flammability of polymers has become a major issue which has restricted its applications.Recently,highly crystalline materials and metal–organic frameworks(MOFs),which consisted of metal ions and organic linkers,have been intensively employed as novel fire retardants(FRs)for a variety of polymers(MOF/polymer).The MOFs possessed abundant transition metal species,fire-retardant elements and potential carbon source accompanied with the facile tuning of the structure and property,making MOF,its derivatives and MOF hybrids promising for fire retardancy research.The recent progress and strategies to prepare MOF-based FRs are emphasized and summarized.The fire retardancy mechanisms of MOF/polymer composites are explained,which may guide the future design for efficient MOF-based FRs.Finally,the challenges and prospects related to different MOFbased FRs are also discussed and aim to provide a fast and holistic overview,which is beneficial for researchers to quickly get up to speed with the latest development in this field.

Design of metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)-based photocatalyst for solar fuel production and photo-degradation of pollutants

Metal organic frameworks(MOFs)is a research hotspot in the solar fuel production and photo-degradation of pollutants field due to high surface area,rich metal/organic species,large pore volume,and adjustability of structures and compositions.Therefore,in this review,we first summarized the design factors of photocatalytic materials based on MOF from the perspective of"star"MOF.The modification strategies of MOFs-based photocatalysts were discussed to improve its photocatalytic activity and specific applications were summarized as well,including photocatalytic CO_(2)reduction,photocatalytic water splitting and photo-degradation of pollutants.Finally,the advantages and disadvantages of MOFs-based photocatalysts were discussed,the current challenges were highlighted,and suggestions for future research directions were proposed.

Sulfonic groups functionalized Zr-metal organic framework for highly catalytic transfer hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol

The highly selective catalytic transfer hydrogenation(CTH)of furfural(FF)to furfuryl alcohol(FOL)is a significant route of biomass valorization.Herein,a series microporous Zr-metal organic framework(ZrMOF)functionalized by sulfonic groups are prepared.Based on the comprehensive structural characterizations by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),N2 physisorption,Thermogravimetric(TG)and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),we find that sulfonic acid(–SO_(3)H)functional groups are tethered on the UIO-66 without affecting the structure of the framework.Systematic characterizations(NH_(3)-TPD,CO_(2)-TPD,and in-situ FTIR)demonstrate that modifying of sulfonic groups on UIO-66 results in the formation of stronger Lewis acidic-basic and Brnsted acidis sites.The cooperative role of the versatile Lewis acidic-basic and Brnsted acidic sites in 60%mol fraction of sulfonic acid-containing UIO-66(UIO-S_(0.6))retain high surface area and exhibit excellent catalytic performance of 94.7%FOL yield and 16.9 h^(-1).turnover number(TOF)under mild conditions.Kinetic experiments reveal that the activation energy of the CTH of furfural(FF)over UIO-S_(0.6) catalyst is as low as 50.8 k J mol^(-1).Besides,the hydrogen transfer mechanism is investigated through isotope labeling experiments,exhibiting that theβ-H in isopropanol is transferred to the a-C of FF by forming six-membered intermediates on the Lewis acidic-basic and Brnsted acidic sites of the UIO-S_(0.6),which is the rate-determining step in the formation of FOL.