Impact of Grafting Density on the Assembly and Mechanical Properties of Self-Assembled Metal–Organic Framework Monolayers
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Polymer-grafted metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) can be used to form free-standing self-assembled MOF monolayers (SAMMs). Polymer chains can be introduced onto MOF surfaces through either the ligands or metal nodes using both grafting-to and grafting-from approaches. However, controlling the grafting density of polymer-grafted MOFs has not yet been achieved, because a means to control the density of grafting sites on the MOF surface has not been developed. In this study, the grafting density of polymer-grafted UiO-66 (UiO = University of Oslo) was controlled by functionalizing a portion of the Zr(IV) secondary building units (SBUs) on a UiO-66 surface with a so-called blocking agent. The remaining sites on the UiO-66 SBUs were functionalized with polymerization initiation groups, and polymers were grown from these sites to obtain particles with variable grafting densities and chain lengths that form SAMMs at an air-water interface. Even under conditions of low grafting density, these materials retain the ability to form SAMMs and their free-standing ability. Changes in particle arrangement within the monolayers were investigated using SEM imaging, and the toughness of the monolayers was evaluated using a film-on-water (FOW) method. Furthermore, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to elucidate the morphology and mechanical properties of the monolayers. Findings from both experiments and simulations indicate that the toughness of SAMMs is more heavily influenced by the chain length of the grafted polymers than by the overall polymer content in the composite.
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c17748
Authors: Minjung Kang, Po-An Lin, Jordan A. Bunch, Darren J. Lipomi, Gaurav Arya, Seth M. Cohen
Institutions: University of California San Diego, Duke University
Language: English
Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, University of California, San Diego, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of Materials Research, Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, University of California, San Diego, Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Awards: G1186292489, G1430206761, TUNING SORPTION PROPERTIES OF METAL ORGNIC FRAMEWORKS VIA POSTSYNTHETIC COVALENT MODIFICATION, G222768804, G2752859727, G2844970560, G3053085007, NNCI: San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure (SDNI), G5282220012, G5285237269, G5523730667, G5627255544, G5648016710, UC San Diego MRSEC: an NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, G7719896256, G8412107296, Collaborative Research: Revealing the Interactions and Dynamics in Framework-Polymer Composite Materials, G8692219177, San Diego Center for AIDS Research (SD CFAR)
OpenAlex ID: W4407413621