Highlights

MOF crystals grow in a completely ordered and predictable way once ceramic spherical microparticles– known as seeds – have been introduced into the MOF solution. In effect the seeds ‘fix’ the MOF crystals to the surface. So by controlling the placement of the seeds with supports manufactured at the DXRL-beamline at ELETTRA we can select how and where the MOFs grow – even on complex three-dimensional surfaces.

The photo : Scanning electron microscopy of Desert Rose Micro-particles used as seeds in a patterned membrane using Deep X-Ray Lithography (DXRL). a) DRMs located in a hole of the substrate after the drop-casting and drying processes. b,c) MOF-5 crystals growing within the seeded lithographed holes. The micrograph was taken after 5 h reaction time at 95 °C in the MOF- 5 growing medium. d) Substrate after 10 h reaction at 95 °C. MOF-5 crystals have grown out of he seeded holes.

Retrieve article

A new method to position and functionalize metal-organic framework crystals

Paolo Falcaro et al,  Nature Communications 2, 237,doi:10.1038/ncomms1234
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v2/n3/abs/ncomms1234.html