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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Surface Functionalization of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Improved Moisture Resistance
Published on: September 5, 2018
Janus Subnanochannels in Metalloporphyrin-Based Conjugated Metal-Organic Frameworks Enable Ultrasensitive Humidity
Xingyu Liu1, Dongxu Chen1, Liangjian Su1
1State Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui230026, P.R. China.
ACS Nano
|July 10, 2026
Summary
New metalloporphyrin-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) control water organization in subnanochannels. This enables ultrasensitive, rapid chemiresistive humidity sensing with NiPp-Cu-O showing a 6-order conductivity enhancement.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Chemistry
Background:
- Controlling water organization in confined spaces is crucial for solid-state protonic and electronic devices.
- Metalloporphyrin (MPp)-based conjugated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer potential for precise molecular confinement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize novel MPp-based MOFs with Janus-type subnanochannels for controlled water confinement.
- To investigate the coupling of protonic and electronic transport in these MOFs for humidity sensing applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of MPp-Cu-O (M = Fe, Ni, Cu) MOFs.
- Characterization using spectroscopic and computational analyses.
- Fabrication and testing of chemiresistive humidity sensors.
Main Results:
- MPp-Cu-O MOFs exhibit Janus-type subnanochannels with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic zones.
- Water molecules form moderately bound hydrogen-bond networks within the channels, balancing stability and dynamic exchange.
- NiPp-Cu-O demonstrated over 6 orders of magnitude conductivity enhancement at 90% relative humidity, with rapid response and recovery.
- Nanoconfinement suppresses over-condensation of water, facilitating proton conduction and fast dynamics.
Conclusions:
- The designed MOFs enable effective chemical and spatial confinement of water.
- Coupled protonic and electronic transport pathways lead to ultrasensitive humidity sensing.
- NiPp-Cu-O represents a highly sensitive chemiresistive humidity sensor with excellent dynamic performance.
