SEMINAR: Tuning the surface patterning and crystal morphology of the HKUST-1 in the presence of surfactant-like molecules

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an exciting class of porous materials consisting in metal ions or clusters linked by organic molecules.Due to their variability and applications they have received great attention during the last few decades.

HKUST-1 (Cu3(BTC)2, BTC=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), first synthetized by Chui et al., is amongst the most well-known MOFs. Because of its high surface area and large pore volume it has a wide range of applications, such as hydrogen storage and CO2 capture.

The effect of different kinds of surfactants in the synthesis of HKUST-1 has been studied. Interestingly these molecules might change the morphology or etch the surface of the crystal, as shown in figure 1, depending on their own properties and interactions with the precursor materials. These new features of HKUST-1 could lead to enhanced separation properties.