
A workforce of chemists and materials scientists on the College of Tokyo has developed a brand new class of interlocking supramolecular programs by combining metal-organic frameworks with rotaxanes. Of their examine, reported within the journal Nature Communications, the group mixed the 2 constructions and located doable makes use of for the outcomes.
Metallic-organic frameworks (MOFs) are compounds made utilizing metallic ions in such a method as to create one-, two-, or three-dimensional constructions. The resultant ligands are recognized within the chemistry world as linkers or struts. They’re sometimes used to make merchandise similar to sensing gear, machines that retailer power or people who separate and purify liquids. They’ve additionally been used for organic imaging and drug supply.
Rotaxanes are molecular constructions which are interlocked in dumbbell shapes. They’re created by threading cyclic molecules into different molecules after which making use of finish caps. They’re sometimes used as molecular switches in electronics units, and generally as shuttles. On this new effort, the analysis workforce developed a option to join the 2 sorts of compounds to create new sorts of interlocking constructions.
The researchers famous that MOFs have nanometer-sized pores, that are used to coordinate interactions with different molecular constructions, a property that has made them helpful in all kinds of purposes. Additionally they famous that rotaxanes are molecular machines. Trying on the two constructions gave them the thought to attach them.
They discovered that doing so was comparatively simple. They merely threaded rotaxane polymer chains via the pores in a MOF made utilizing copper. This led to the creation of what they name MOFaxanes. They famous that by utilizing extra-long polymers, they have been in a position to reverse the sorts of relationships sometimes seen with MOFs and their “company,” permitting for larger variations in measurement between the 2 than is typical. Additionally they be aware that as a result of MOFs are so tunable, the vary of creatable MOFaxane constructions varieties and sizes must be nearly limitless.
Extra data:
Tomoya Iizuka et al, An strategy to MOFaxanes by threading ultralong polymers via metallic–natural framework microcrystals, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38835-5
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A brand new class of interlocking supramolecular programs: MOFaxanes (2023, June 23)
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