Nano-MOFs: In situ monitoring and control of the crystallite growth of MOFs in colloidal solution and at surfaces modified with SAMs employing step-by-step dosing of reactants

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A number of interesting potential applications of Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) including chemical sensing, smart membranes for gas separation and chromatography, drug release, catalysis, electrochemistry (fuel cells), solar energy harvesting etc. require a more detailed understanding and the precise control of the growth of nm-thickness MOF films at surfaces (“SURMOFs”) as well as in colloidal solution (“nano MOFs”). The project will investigate a novel type of MOF synthesis following a 2D layer-by-layer growth scheme at model surfaces which are deliberately modified by organic self assembled monolayers in order to direct the heterogeneous nucleation and the growth. In parallel, the 3D crystallite growth in colloidal solution initiated by homogeneous nucleation will be studied aiming at the control of the size and shape distribution by the effect of certain additives being present in the solvothermal mother solutions. Both areas of research have in common the (automatic, computer controlled) stepwise dosing of reactants and the time resolved in situ spectroscopic monitoring of the development of the MOF crystallites at the nano scale.