Understanding and Controlling Ionic Behaviors in Heterostructured Metal-Organic-Frameworks for Selective Magnesium Ion Transport

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Non-technical summary: Controlling ionic transport in solid-state materials is of fundamental importance. For example, being able to selectively move ions in a solid-state film may enable the utilization of cheap and safe materials (such as magnesium) for next-generation batteries. A critical challenge limiting research progress in this area is the difficulty in achieving the desired selectivity. That is, it is exceedingly difficult to promote the movement of one type of ion and to suppress others. A promising solution to this problem is to combine multiple material components into a single solid-state structure. The resulting material greatly expands the possibility of selective ion transport. With funding from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research, Drs. Wang, Bao, and Mohanty from Boston College build and study a new type of architecture in solid-state films that has the potential for fast and selective magnesium ion transport. They chose a versatile metal-organic framework as a model platform, which includes multiple-component structured layers. The overall structure is expected to promote magnesium ion transport while suppressing the movement of unwanted species. To enhance the impacts of the project, educational opportunities are provided to engage undergraduate researchers in the research project. Moreover, complementary outreach activities are developed to inform the general public of the implications of materials research for a sustainable future. Technical summary: With funding from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research, this project investigates fast and selective transport of multivalent ions (e.g., Mg) in metal-organic framework (MOF) based materials. Drs. Wang, Bao, and Mohanty from Boston College leverage their expertise in synthesis, electrochemical characterization, material design, and theoretical and computational toolsets for ionic transport. They collaborate to test the hypothesis that fast and selective transport of multivalent ions through MOF-based materials can be achieved through tuning the structural components. The distinctiveness of the study is the design of a MOF-based heterostructure platform that consists of multiple-component layers, suitably tailored to enable Mg2+ transport, suppressing the movement of the solvent molecules and the anions, while maintaining reasonable conductivity. The research efforts are complemented with educational plans aimed at broadening the impacts by engaging undergraduate researchers in the project, and the researchers’ activities to educate the general public about the significance of materials research for a sustainable future.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.