H-Bonded and Metal Organic Frameworks

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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.