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Responsive interlayer spacing in staggered metal-organic framework nanosheet membranes.
Xiaoyan Peng1, Liwei Han1, Xuanhao Wu1
1Center for Alloy Innovation and Design (CAID), State Key Laboratory of Porous Metal Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
Nature Communications
|February 25, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to control the stacking of 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets, creating functional MOF membranes. This breakthrough allows for adjustable interlayer spacing, enhancing separation performance and enabling scalable production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Precise control over the stacking of 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheets is crucial for fabricating advanced MOF films and membranes.
- Achieving adjustable interlayer spacing and pore size in MOF-based materials remains a significant challenge for various applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate a postsynthetic modification strategy for functionalizing solution-processable NUS-8 nanosheets.
- To create photo-responsive MOF materials for tunable membrane properties.
Main Methods:
- Functionalization of NUS-8 nanosheets with photo-responsive azobenzene or non-responsive tetra-phenylethylene moieties.
- Fabrication of large-area, homogeneous 2D MOF films and membranes with preferential (00l) orientation.
- Characterization of responsive interlayer spacing in NUS-8-Azobenzene stacked membranes under irradiation.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of azobenzene-functionalized NUS-8 (NUS-8-Azobenzene) and NUS-8-TPE.
- Demonstration of responsive interlayer spacing in NUS-8-Azobenzene stacked membranes upon light irradiation.
- Evidence of controlled variations in interlayer spacing, impacting the selectivity-permeability trade-off in membranes.
Conclusions:
- The proposed postsynthetic modification strategy enables the fabrication of functional 2D MOF membranes with scalable production.
- This approach offers new functionalities for MOF membranes, including responsive interlayer spacing, even for rigid MOFs.
- The developed MOF membranes hold significant potential for practical separation applications.
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