The uniqueness of the rht-MOF platform, based on the singular (3,24)-connected net, allows for the facile design and synthesis of functionalized materials for desired applications. Here we designed a nitrogen-rich trefoil hexacarboxylate (trigonal tri-isophthalate) ligand, which serves to act as the trigonal molecular building block while concurrently coding the formation of the targeted truncated cuboctahedral supermolecular building block (in situ), and enhancing the CO 2 uptake in the resultant rht-MOF.