Framework dynamics in aluminium phosphate materials

This project investigates the framework dynamics of the zeotype AlPO4-5 and its derivatives. These materials form flexible, microporous networks of interconnected tetrahedra, making them useful for important applications such as molecular sieving. We aim to understand this structural flexibility, which is driven by low-energy rigid unit modes (RUMs), and determine how it is influenced by temperature, heteroatom substitution, and guest molecules in the pores. We want to perform temperature-dependent single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements with a focus on diffuse scattering and satellite reflections to identify how and when these flexible distortions transform into ordered, modulated structures. Understanding this dynamic behaviour lays the foundation for the engineering of materials for future applications in catalysis, gas separation, and other areas where tailored porous materials are essential.