Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026

A Technical Guide for Performing Spectroscopic Measurements on Metal-Organic Frameworks
Published on: April 28, 2023
Fast and selective fluoride ion conduction in sub-1-nanometer metal-organic framework channels
Xingya Li1, Huacheng Zhang2, Peiyao Wang3
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia.
Abstract:
Biological fluoride ion channels are sub-1-nanometer protein pores with ultrahigh F- conductivity and selectivity over other halogen ions. Developing synthetic F- channels with biological-level selectivity is highly desirable for ion separations such as water defluoridation, but it remains a great challenge. Here we report synthetic F- channels fabricated from zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), UiO-66-X (X = H, NH2, and N+(CH3)3). These MOFs are comprised of nanometer-sized cavities connected by sub-1-nanometer-sized windows and have specific F- binding sites along the channels, sharing some features of biological F- channels. UiO-66-X channels consistently show ultrahigh F- conductivity up to ~10 S m-1, and ultrahigh F-/Cl- selectivity, from ~13 to ~240. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the ultrahigh F- conductivity and selectivity can be ascribed mainly to the high F- concentration in the UiO-66 channels, arising from specific interactions between F- ions and F- binding sites in the MOF channels.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Ion Channels
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
Theory of Metallic Conduction
In this theory, Newton's second law of motion is used to determine the acceleration of an electron in the presence of an applied electric field. Then, its velocity is expressed via this acceleration.
An electron moves through the crystal, containing positive ions,...
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
Ions and Ionic Charges
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory...
Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...

