Polymerisation in MOF templates - a dynamics study

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 highly porous polymers. There have been several reports of the adsorption of monomers into MOFs, but characterisation of the MOF/monomer composite is somewhat lacking in the field, and little is know about the polymerisation process. This experiment seeks to understand changes in the mobility of the monomer within the framework, how this changes during polymerisation and whether the MOF structure is affected.