H-Bonded and Metal Organic Frameworks

该研究计划通过了解金属离子和分子如何组装的基础科学，以新的功能材料为目标。 目标材料将是多孔的，核心研究挑战将是使网络中的孔稳定并具有正确的大小，形状和维度。我们已经开发了一种新的两步法来制造这种材料，这种材料既需要强相互作用，又能够制造有序结构。 将采用基于较弱氢键的新型多孔固体，使固体能够在适当的客体分子存在下表现出门控行为，从而产生非常有选择性的吸附剂。第二类高度坚固的材料也将被专门设计用于形成3-D开孔的连接体靶向。这两个系列都将通过竞争性实验进行研究，以挑战工业相关性的分离，例如乙烯/乙炔和二甲苯异构体。第二个目标应用是使用这种材料来产生更好的质子传导材料。这是我们集团开创的一个领域，我们的定位是利用上述平台制造特殊材料。有序和酸稳定的支架将在质子传导率（> 5x 10 -1 Scm-1）和操作温度范围（150-200摄氏度）方面提供潜在的突破。研究的进一步阶段将是控制这些系统中的颗粒尺寸和形态，以了解界面在传导中的作用，并使它们更适合于膜结合。我们还将探索这些类别的化合物的吸附和传感的化学试剂的模板中的孔与非危险的结构模拟剂的固体。对于这个项目，知识将从分子设计和粒度控制的其他子主题转移，因为有前途的吸附剂材料将需要被纳入一个复合材料的形式使用。 该计划属于基础科学领域，但它是“应用导向”的，通过采取比其他部门可能采取的更高风险的方法来实现有意义的目标。在这样一个项目中获得的技能是完全可转移的，学生们被灌输了更大的发现感和风险承受能力。

This research programme targets new functional materials by understanding the basic science of how metal ions and molecules assemble. The target materials will be porous and a core research challenge will be to make the holes in the networks stable and the right size, shape and dimensionality. We have developed a new two step method to make such materials that reconciles the need for strong interactions with the ability to make an ordered structure. New porous solids based on weaker H-bonds will be employed to make solids capable of showing gating behaviour in the presence of appropriate guest molecules leading to very selective sorbents. A second class of highly robust materials will also be targeted with linkers designed specifically to form 3-D open pores. Both of these families will be studied through competitive experiments for challenging separations of industrial relevance such as ethylene/acetylene and xylene isomers. A second target application is the use of such materials for generation of better proton conducting materials. This is a field that our group has pioneered and we are positioned to make exceptional materials with the platforms described above. The ordered and acid stable scaffoldings will offer potential breakthroughs both in levels of proton conductivity (>5x10-1 Scm-1) and operating temperature range (150-200 degC). A further stage of research will be to control the particle size and morphology in these systems to understand the role of interfaces in conduction and to make them more amenable to membrane incorporation. We will also explore these classes of compounds for sorption and sensing of chemical agents by templating the pores in the solids with non-hazardous structural mimics of the agents. For this project, knowledge will transfer from other subthemes both in molecular design and particle size control as promising sorbent materials will need to be incorporated into a composite form for use. The program is in the realm of basic science but it is "application-directed" by taking higher risk approaches to meaningful targets than would likely be possible in other sectors. The skills gained on such a project are fully transferable and the students are instilled with a greater sense of discovery and risk tolerance.