Soft solid/crystalline composites

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a particularly interesting class of three dimensional crystalline networks formed by the self-assembly of metal ions with organic ligands. Their regular structure creates internal pores and channels, and the large internal surface area this creates makes them interesting candidates for use in hydrogen storage, gas separation and drug delivery. A new area of research is the use of MOFs as a hard template to produce a negative image of the highly porous structure in a softer material such as a polymer. There have been several reports of the adsorption of monomers into MOFs and their subsequent polymerisation in situ, but physical characterisation of the MOF/monomer composite is somewhat lacking in the field. The proposed experiments will shed light on MOF/polymer interactions, and how these have changed from the pre-polymerised material.