Correlated defect nanoregions in a metal-organic framework

Cliffe, Matthew J.; Wan, Wei; Zou, Xiaodong; Chater, Philip A.; Kleppe, Annette K.; Tucker, Matthew G.; Wilhelm, Heribert; Funnell, Nicholas P.; Coudert, François-Xavier; Goodwin, Andrew L.

Abstract

Throughout much of condensed matter science, correlated disorder is a key to material function. While structural and compositional defects are known to exist within a variety of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the prevailing understanding is that these defects are only ever included in a random manner. Here we show-using a combination of diffuse scattering, electron microscopy, anomalous X-ray scattering and pair distribution function measurements-that correlations between defects can in fact be introduced and controlled within a hafnium terephthalate MOF. The nanoscale defect structures that emerge are an analogue of correlated Schottky vacancies in rocksalt-structured transition metal monoxides and have implications for storage, transport, optical and mechanical responses. Our results suggest how the diffraction behaviour of some MOFs might be reinterpreted, and establish a strategy of exploiting correlated nanoscale disorder as a targetable and desirable motif in MOF design. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Citation

Cliffe, M. J., Wan, W., Zou, X., Chater, P. A., Kleppe, A. K., Tucker, M. G., Wilhelm, H., Funnell, N. P., Coudert, F.-X., & Goodwin, A. L. (2014). Correlated defect nanoregions in a metal-organic framework. Nature Communications, 5, Article 4176. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5176

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 21, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Jun 20, 2014
• Publication Date: Jun 20, 2014
• Deposit Date: Dec 20, 2018
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-1723
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Article Number: 4176
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5176
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1430555
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms5176