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A perfect crystal, in theory, has a uniform structure with the same unit cell and lattice points throughout. However, any deviation from this periodic arrangement is known as an imperfection or defect. These defects can be categorized into three types: point, line, and plane defects.Point defects occur when there is a deviation from the ideal due to missing atoms, displaced atoms, or additional atoms. These imperfections might occur due to imperfect packing during crystallization or because of...
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Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks
11:27

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks

Published on: September 5, 2014

Structural disorder in molecular framework materials.

Andrew B Cairns1, Andrew L Goodwin

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK.

Chemical Society Reviews
|March 9, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Structural disorder in molecular framework materials is common and can lead to useful functionalities. This review explores disorder in zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) and porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs), and methods to characterize it.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Chemistry
  • Crystallography

Background:

  • Many molecular framework materials exhibit structural disorder.
  • This disorder can influence material properties and functionalities.
  • Understanding the microscopic nature of disorder is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent efforts in understanding structural disorder in molecular framework materials.
  • To explore the link between disorder and material functionalities.
  • To highlight characterization techniques and future research directions.

Main Methods:

  • Pair distribution function (PDF) analysis
  • Dielectric spectroscopy
  • Powder diffraction peak-shape analysis
  • Single-crystal diffuse scattering measurements

Main Results:

  • Topologically-disordered zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) and porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) are discussed.
  • Phenomena such as amorphisation, partial interpenetration, and negative thermal expansion are examined.
  • The role of disorder in ferroelectric transition-metal formates and layered frameworks is explored.

Conclusions:

  • Structural disorder is a key feature of many molecular framework materials.
  • Characterization techniques like PDF analysis and diffraction methods are essential for studying disorder.
  • Further research is needed to fully exploit disorder for material functionalities.