A centuries-old architectural technique has inspired a new method for tailoring nanoscale windows in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with potential applications in gas separation and medical fields.
A centuries-old technique for constructing arched stone windows has inspired a new way to form tailored nanoscale windows in porous functional materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
The method uses a molecular version of an architectural arch-forming “centering formwork“ template to direct the formation of MOFs with pore windows of predetermined shape and size. New MOFs designed and made in this way range from narrow-windowed materials with gas separation potential to larger-windowed structures with potential medical applications due to their excellent oxygen-adsorption capacity.
The starting point of the research was a zeolite-like MOF (ZMOF), which usually features pentagonal windows framed by building blocks called supertetrahedra (ST). “Our goal was to control ST arrangement to change from this well-known topology to one not reported before with these building blocks,” Sapianik says.
The team developed centering structure-directing agents (cSDA) to control ST alignment and form ZMOF windows of new shapes and sizes. One set of cSDAs, designed to tighten the angle between adjoining ST units, created small windows. Another set, designed to expand the angle between ST units, gave larger windows.
“MOF pore size and volume are important parameters that affect their application,” says Marina Barsukova, a postdoc in Eddaoudi’s team. One large-windowed ZMOF the team designed, Fe-sod-ZMOF-320, showed the highest oxygen adsorption capacity of any MOF known. “This property is important in the medical and aerospace industries, where the high capacity would increase oxygen storage in a cylinder, or enable smaller cylinders for easier transport,” Barsukova says. The same ZMOFs also performed well for storage of methane and hydrogen, which are potential fuels. Other ZMOFs in the family with narrow windows showed potential for gas separation of molecular mixtures.
The cSDA concept offers multiple benefits enhancing MOF performance, says Vincent Guillerm, a research scientist in Eddaoudi’s group. “The cSDA partitions big windows into smaller ones, which our preliminary results suggest will be useful for chemical separations,” he says. “It also offers additional internal pore surface, which can help to improve gas storage, and reinforces the MOF framework, which should improve the material’s stability,” he adds.
“The centering approach we have developed is another powerful strategy in the repertoire of reticular chemistry, offering great potential for made-to-order MOFs for applications in energy security and environmental sustainability,” Eddaoudi says.
Reference: “Face-directed assembly of tailored isoreticular MOFs using centring structure-directing agents” by Marina Barsukova, Aleksandr Sapianik, Vincent Guillerm, Aleksander Shkurenko, Aslam C. Shaikh, Prakash Parvatkar, Prashant M. Bhatt, Mickaele Bonneau, Abdulhadi Alhaji, Osama Shekhah, Salvador R. G. Balestra, Rocio Semino, Guillaume Maurin and Mohamed Eddaoudi, 2 October 2023, Nature Synthesis.
DOI: 10.1038/s44160-023-00401-8
News
Are Machines Truly Thinking? Modern AI Systems Have Finally Achieved Turing’s Vision
Modern AI systems have fulfilled Turing’s vision of machines that learn and converse like humans, but challenges remain. A new paper highlights concerns about energy consumption and societal inequality while calling for more robust [...]
The Surprising Link Between Smell, Sound, and Emotions
New research reveals how smell and hearing interact in the brain to drive social behavior, using mouse maternal instincts as a model. Imagine you’re at a dinner party, but you can’t smell the food [...]
Brain cells age at different rates
As our body ages, not only joints, bones and muscles wear out, but also our nervous system. Nerve cells die, are no longer fully replaced, and the brain shrinks. "Aging is the most important risk factor [...]
Long COVID Breakthrough: Spike Proteins Persist in Brain for Years
Researchers have discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein persists in the brain and skull bone marrow for years after infection, potentially leading to chronic inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) have [...]
Water-Resistant Paper Could Revolutionize Packaging and Replace Plastic
A groundbreaking study showcases the creation of sustainable hydrophobic paper, enhanced by cellulose nanofibres and peptides, presenting a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based materials, with potential uses in packaging and biomedical devices. Researchers aimed to [...]
NIH Scientists Discover Game-Changing Antibodies Against Malaria
Novel antibodies have the potential to pave the way for the next generation of malaria interventions. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have identified a novel class of antibodies that target a previously unexplored region [...]
Surprising Discovery: What If Some Cancer Genes Are Actually Protecting You?
A surprising discovery reveals that a gene previously thought to accelerate esophageal cancer actually helps protect against it initially. This pivotal study could lead to better prediction and prevention strategies tailored to individual genetic [...]
The Cancer Test That Exposes What Conventional Scans Miss
Researchers at UCLA have unveiled startling findings using PSMA-PET imaging that reveal nearly half of patients diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer might actually have metastases missed by traditional imaging methods. This revelation could profoundly affect future [...]
Pupil size in sleep reveals how memories are processed
Cornell University researchers have found that the pupil is key to understanding how, and when, the brain forms strong, long-lasting memories. By studying mice equipped with brain electrodes and tiny eye-tracking cameras, the researchers [...]
Stanford’s Vaccine Breakthrough Boosts Flu Protection Like Never Before
Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a new method for influenza vaccination that encourages a robust immune response to all four common flu subtypes, potentially increasing the vaccine’s efficacy. In laboratory tests using human tonsil [...]
Water’s Worst Nightmare: The Rise of Superhydrophobic Materials
New materials with near-perfect water repellency offer potential for self-cleaning surfaces in cars and buildings. Scientists from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) have developed a surface [...]
Japanese dentists test drug to help people with missing teeth regrow new ones
Japanese dentists are testing a groundbreaking drug that could enable people with missing teeth to grow new ones, reducing the need for dentures and implants, AFP recently reported. Katsu Takahashi, head of oral surgery at [...]
An AI system has reached human level on a test for ‘general intelligence’
A new artificial intelligence (AI) model has just achieved human-level results on a test designed to measure "general intelligence." On December 20, OpenAI's o3 system scored 85% on the ARC-AGI benchmark, well above the previous AI best [...]
According to Researchers, Your Breathing Patterns Could Hold the Key to Better Memory
Breathing synchronizes brain waves that support memory consolidation. A new study from Northwestern Medicine reports that, much like a conductor harmonizes various instruments in an orchestra to create a symphony, breathing synchronizes hippocampal brain waves to [...]
The Hidden Culprit Behind Alzheimer’s Revealed: Microglia Under the Microscope
Researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center have made a groundbreaking discovery in Alzheimer’s disease research, identifying a critical link between cellular stress in the brain and disease progression. Their study focuses on microglia, the brain’s immune [...]
“Mirror Bacteria” Warning: A New Kind of Life Could Pose a Global Threat
Mirror life, a concept involving synthetic organisms with reversed molecular structures, carries significant risks despite its potential for medical advancements. Experts warn that mirror bacteria could escape natural biological controls, potentially evolving to exploit [...]
