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IMAGE: Image of the manufacturing method image shown in this study view More
Credit: Tohoku University
A research team has developed a new method for creating Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) thin films that can be applied to sensors and electrical devices.
Like sponges, porous materials contain pores. The size of the pores affects the property of the material. For example, small pores create more absorbent surface areas. Silica gel, which is often used in food packaging to absorb moisture, is a typical example.
Recent studies on porous materials have led to the development of new materials with designable pores, giving scientists greater control over the properties of those materials.
MOF is a porous material consisting of metal ions coordinated by connecting organic molecules. Well-ordered nanopores in MOFs have potential applications in materials science and pharmacology.
Despite a growing interest in MOFs, researchers have yet to establish an effective method for forming MOFs into thin films. Most studies on the MOF preparation focus solely on the powdered form. The formation of MOF in thin films opens up its use for moisture sensing, gas sensing and resistive switching devices.
Researchers from Tohoku University, Iwate University and the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) have overcome this hurdle by controlling the growth of MOF in film. This involved a simple “layer-by-layer” method, which uses sequential immersion of substrates in ingredient solutions.
The research team chose four types of plastics commonly used as substrates for the growth of the MOF film. They cultivated the growth of MOF films on plastics such as nylon and acrylic resin.
“The easy and versatile manufacturing techniques used in this study opened MOFs to new fields of application such as sensors and memory devices,” said Shunsuke Yamamoto, co-author of the study. “We hope our research will serve as a starting point for using MOF films with electronic devices.”
Further studies of the film growth mechanism are expected to provide important information on coating on flexible and transparent plastic substrates under ambient conditions.
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