Experimental evidence for a general model of modulated MOF nanoparticle growth.

ABSTRACT: Nanoparticles of metal-organic frameworks (nanoMOFs) boast superior properties compared to their bulk analogs, yet little is known about how common synthetic parameters dictate particle sizes. Here, we provide experimental evidence for the "seesaw" model of nanoMOF growth. Solution acidity, ligand excess, and reactant concentrations are decoupled and shown to form the key independent determinants of nanoMOF sizes, thereby validating the proposal that nanoMOFs arise from coupled equilibria involving ligand deprotonation and metal-ligand complexation. By achieving the first demonstration of a seesaw relationship between nanoMOF sizes and ligand excess, these results provide further proof of the model, as they required deliberate manipulation of relationships outlined by the model. Exploring

SUBMITTER: Marshall CR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8162779 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature