A Real-Time LSPR-Based Study of Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) Growth

MOFs are known for their absorption properties and widely used for accumulation, filtering, sensorics, photothermal, catalytical and other applications. Their combination with plasmonic metal nanoparticles leads to hybrid structures that profit from the stabilizing effect and high porosity of the MOF as well as the optical and electronic properties of the nanoparticles. The growth of MOFs on plasmonic nanoparticles can be monitored in-situ using LSPR spectroscopy, simultaneously applying microfluidic reaction conditions for the fabrication of NP@MOF structures. Here, a systematic study is conducted using LSPR spectroscopy for the monitoring of the Layer-by-Layer deposition of twelve different MOFs, determining the suitability of LSPR spectroscopy for this purpose. In addition to some well-investigated materials like HKUST-1, other MOFs such as MIL-53, MIL-88 A and Cu-BDC are deposited successfully. For some MOFs such as Zn-Fum, the LSPR experiment indicates that no deposition had taken place. The results are confirmed with AFM, SEM and XPS measurements. This work shows that LSPR spectroscopy is suitable for the in-situ monitoring of LbL MOF growth and the microfluidic setup is a very promising method for the controlled manufacturing of NP@MOF hybrid structures. Further studies may include the optimization of the synthesis process or the transfer to other materials.