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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Food Quality Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #325762
Research Project: Evaluation and Maintenance of Flavor, Nutritional and Other Quality Attributes of Fresh and Fresh-Cut Produce

Location: Food Quality Laboratory

Title: Facile and template-free solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous/macroporous metal-organic framework nanosheets

Author
item ZHANG, BOCE - ORISE FELLOW
item Luo, Yaguang - Sunny
item KANYUCK, KELSEY - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item SAENZ, NATALIE - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item ZAVALIJ, PETER - UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
item MOWERY, JOSEPH
item Bauchan, Gary

Submitted to: RSC Advances
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/18/2018
Publication Date: 10/9/2018
Citation: Zhang, B., Luo, Y., Kanyuck, K., Saenz, N., Zavalij, P., Mowery, J.D., Bauchan, G.R. 2018. Facile and template-free solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous/macroporous metal-organic framework nanosheets. RSC Advances. 8(58):33059-33064.

Interpretive Summary: Metal-organic framework (MOF) films are porous films that possess unique chemical properties that are highly desirable for energy, bio-medical and agricultural applications for gas storage and release. However, synthesizing MOFs as freestanding films or sheets that retain morphological and structural integrity has been technically challenging. In this study, we developed a new method to synthesize MOFs with desired morphologies. This method is easy to use, and low cost. The availability of this method could expand the potentials of MOF films for broad applications in the future, including the potential to store and release of both inert and bioactive gases (e.g., ethylene) for a broad range of applications.

Technical Abstract: Metal-organic framework (MOF) films and nanosheets are highly desirable for commercial applications, especially in molecular sieving and catalytic membranes. However, synthesizing MOFs as freestanding nanosheets that retain morphological and structural integrity has been technically challenging. In this study, a facile and template-free solvothermal method was developed to synthesize cupric terephthalate MOFs with controlled morphologies. The use of different copper (II)-ligand coordination complexes mediates the controlled MOF crystal growth and morphology, including free-standing agglomerated nanosheets. This work provides a bottom-up approach to synthesize mesoporous/macroporous MOF nanosheets in a simple and scalable way, which could expand the potentials of MOF nanosheets for energy and biomedical applications in the future.