Insight into the Oriented Growth of Surface-Attached Metal–Organic Frameworks: Surface Functionality, Deposition Temperature, and First Layer Order

Controlled Growth of Metal-Organic Frameworks on Polymer Brushes

Polymer brushes are for the first time used to induce the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The semi-fixed polymer chains provide a confined environment, which allows a mild growth of MOFs in between polymer chains to give surface-attached spherical MOF nanoparticles, in contrast to the larger MOF cubes/plates formed simultaneously in solution. Polymer brushes bearing carboxylate acid functionalities are indispensable for the formation of surface bound MOFs, while no MOF nanoparticles are observed on neutral polymer brushes. Characterization of the resultant MOF/polymer brushes hybrid film indicates the formation of crystalline MOF structure. The dimension of surface-attached MOFs can be fine-tuned from 20 nm to 1.4 μm simply by varying the structural parameter of polymer brushes and the nucleation duration. The method is not only applicable to the synthesis of MOF-5 and MIL-125, but shows great potential for the preparation of other surface-attached MOFs.

Triptycene-terminated thiolate and selenolate monolayers on Au(111)

To study the implications of highly space-demanding organic moieties on the properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), triptycyl thiolates and selenolates with and without methylene spacers on Au(111) surfaces were comprehensively studied using ultra-high vacuum infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and thermal desorption spectroscopy. Due to packing effects, the molecules in all monolayers are substantially tilted. In the presence of a methylene spacer the tilt is slightly less pronounced. The selenolate monolayers exhibit smaller defect densities and therefore are more densely packed than their thiolate analogues. The Se-Au binding energy in the investigated SAMs was found to be higher than the S-Au binding energy.

Surface-supported metal–organic framework thin films: fabrication methods, applications, and challenges

Surface-supported metal–organic framework thin films are receiving increasing attention as a novel form of nanotechnology, which hold great promise for photovoltaics, electronic devices, CO₂ reduction, energy storage, water splitting and membranes.

Stepwise fabrication of donor/acceptor thin films with a charge-transfer molecular wire motif

Novel thin films composed of a donor (D)/acceptor (A) charge-transfer chain compound were fabricated by a layer-by-layer technique using complexation of a paddlewheel-type diruthenium(ii, ii) complex with an N,N'-dicyanoquinonediimine derivative on an ITO substrate with a pyridine-substituted phosphonate anchor. The stepwise growth of an electron-transfer D⁺A^--chain thin film was confirmed.

Chiral Chemistry of Homochiral Porous Thin Film with Different Growth Orientations

Chirality is one of the essential features in our living life and exerts a wide variety of applications in enantio-adsorption/separation. However, the mechanism between chirality and enantio-adsorption/separation is very significant in homochiral porous materials; in particular, the understanding of the relationship between crystalline orientations and chiral behavior is a challenging but important mechanism. In this work, homochiral porous crystalline metal organic framework (MOF) materials were grown on hydroxyl- and carboxyl-functionalized substrates, resulting in homochiral porous thin films with different orientations. The enantioselectivity and adsorption rates in two different oriented homochiral porous thin films were studied by using gas-phase quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) experiment of chiral probe molecules. The different mass uptake and time constant showed that the chiral behavior can be obviously influenced by the crystalline orientations on the same homochiral porous thin films. This study will not only offer a good model to understand the mechanism of chiral behavior in homochiral porous materials but also provide guidance for developing new homochiral-oriented porous thin films with high enantioselectivity or enantioseparation.

Zirconium Phosphate Supported MOF Nanoplatelets

We report a rare example of the preparation of HKUST-1 metal-organic framework nanoplatelets through a step-by-step seeding procedure. Sodium ion exchanged zirconium phosphate, NaZrP, nanoplatelets were judiciously selected as support for layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of Cu(II) and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (H3BTC) linkers. The first layer of Cu(II) is attached to the surface of zirconium phosphate through covalent interaction. The successive LBL growth of HKUST-1 film is then realized by soaking the NaZrP nanoplatelets in ethanolic solutions of cupric acetate and H3BTC, respectively. The amount of assembled HKUST-1 can be readily controlled by varying the number of growth cycles, which was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and gas adsorption analyses. The successful construction of HKUST-1 on NaZrP was also supported by its catalytic performance for the oxidation of cyclohexene.

High-Quality Metal-Organic Framework Ultrathin Films for Electronically Active Interfaces

Currently available methodologies arguably lack the exquisite control required for producing metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films of sufficient quality for electronic applications. By directing MOF transfer with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), we achieve very smooth, homogeneous, highly oriented, ultrathin films across millimeter-scale areas that display moderate conductivity likely due to electron hopping. Here, the SAM is key for directing the transfer thereby enlarging the number and nature of the substrates of choice. We have exploited this versatility to evolve from deposition onto standard Si and Au to nonconventional substrates such as ferromagnetic Permalloy. We believe that this strategy might be useful for the integration of MOFs as active interfaces in electronic devices.

Immobilization of Metal-Organic Framework Copper(II) Benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC) onto Cotton Fabric as a Nitric Oxide Release Catalyst

Immobilization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) onto flexible polymeric substrates as secondary supports expands the versatility of MOFs for surface coatings for the development of functional materials. In this work, we demonstrate the deposition of copper(II) benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (CuBTC) crystals directly onto the surface of carboxyl-functionalized cotton capable of generating the therapeutic bioagent nitric oxide (NO) from endogenous sources. Characterization of the CuBTC-cotton material by XRD, ATR-IR, and UV-vis indicate that CuBTC is successfully immobilized on the cotton fabric. In addition, SEM imaging reveals excellent surface coverage with well-defined CuBTC crystals. Subsequently, the CuBTC-cotton material was evaluated as a supported heterogeneous catalyst for the generation of NO using S-nitrosocysteamine as the substrate. The resulting reactivity is consistent with the activity observed for unsupported CuBTC particles. Overall, this work demonstrates deposition of MOFs onto a flexible polymeric material with excellent coverage as well as catalytic NO release from S-nitrosocysteamine at therapeutic levels.