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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Author Spotlight: Functionalizing Metal-Organic Frameworks: Advancements, Challenges, and the Power of Post-Synthetic Ligand Exchange
Published on: June 23, 2023
Functionalization of robust Zr(IV)-based metal-organic framework films via a postsynthetic ligand exchange
Honghan Fei1, Sonja Pullen, Andreas Wagner
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA 92093. scohen@ucsd.edu.
Abstract:
A facile and efficient fabrication approach for homogeneous, crack-free UiO-66 films with exceptionally high crystallinity and tunable thickness on a transparent and conductive glass substrate is reported. Two functionalized species, a catechol ligand and a Fe2 complex with structural resemblance to the active site of [FeFe] hydrogenase, were introduced into the MOF films via a postsynthetic exchange. Voltammetric studies show the [FeFe] complex in the thinner UiO-66 films (2-5 μm) can be reduced electrochemically.
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