High Proton Conduction in a Chiral Ferromagnetic Metal–Organic Quartz-like Framework

A complex-as-ligand strategy to get a multifunctional molecular material led to a metal–organic framework with the formula (NH4)4[MnCr2(ox)6]·4H2O. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the anionic bimetallic coordination network adopts a chiral three-dimensional quartz-like architecture. It hosts ammonium cations and water molecules in functionalized channels. In addition to ferromagnetic ordering below TC = 3.0 K related to the host network, the material exhibits a very high proton conductivity of 1.1 × 10–3 S cm–1 at room temperature due to the guest molecules.