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

金属有机框架（MOF）的许多令人感兴趣的潜在应用，包括化学传感、用于气体分离和色谱的智能膜、药物释放、催化、电化学（燃料电池）、太阳能收集等，需要更详细地理解和精确控制表面处（“SURMOF”）以及胶体溶液中（“纳米MOF”）的nm厚度MOF膜的生长。该项目将研究一种新型的MOF合成，在模型表面采用2D逐层生长方案，这些表面通过有机自组装单层故意修饰，以指导异相成核和生长。同时，将研究由均匀成核引发的胶体溶液中的3D微晶生长，目的是通过溶剂热母液中存在的某些添加剂的作用来控制尺寸和形状分布。这两个研究领域的共同点是反应物的（自动，计算机控制的）逐步定量给药和在纳米尺度上对MOF微晶的发展进行时间分辨的原位光谱监测。

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.