Liquid phase blending of metal-organic frameworks

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04553-6

Authors: Louis Longley (University of Cambridge) , Sean Collins (University of Cambridge) , Chao Zhou (Aalborg University) , Glen J. Smales (University College London; Diamond Light Source) , Sarah E. Norman (ISIS Facility) , Nick J. Brownbill (University of Liverpool) , Christopher W. Ashling (University of Cambridge) , Philip A. Chater (Diamond Light Source) , Robert Tovey (University of Cambridge) , Carola-bibiane Schönlieb (University of Cambridge) , Thomas F. Headen (ISIS Facility) , Nicholas J. Terrill (Diamond Light Source) , Yuanzheng Yue (Aalborg University; Wuhan University of Technology; Qilu University of Technology) , Andrew J. Smith (Diamond Light Source) , Frédéric Blanc (University of Liverpool) , David Keen (ISIS Facility) , Paul A. Midgley (University of Cambridge) , Thomas Bennett (Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Nature Communications , VOL 9

State: Published (Approved)
Published: June 2018
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 171151 , 18236

Abstract: The liquid and glass states of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently become of interest due to the potential for liquid-phase separations and ion transport, alongside the fundamental nature of the latter as a new, fourth category of melt-quenched glass. Here we show that the MOF liquid state can be blended with another MOF component, resulting in a domain structured MOF glass with a single, tailorable glass transition. Intra-domain connectivity and short range order is confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and pair distribution function measurements. The interfacial binding between MOF domains in the glass state is evidenced by electron tomography, and the relationship between domain size and Tg investigated. Nanoindentation experiments are also performed to place this new class of MOF materials into context with organic blends and inorganic alloys.

Subject Areas: Materials, Chemistry


Instruments: I15-1-X-ray Pair Distribution Function (XPDF) , I22-Small angle scattering & Diffraction

Documents:
s41467-018-04553-6.pdf