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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.

Authors

Wei Wan

Xiaodong Zou

Philip A. Chater

Annette K. Kleppe

Matthew G. Tucker

Heribert Wilhelm

Nicholas P. Funnell

François-Xavier Coudert

Andrew L. Goodwin



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., …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
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
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