Tracking and Visualization of Functional Domains in Stratified Metal-Organic Frameworks Using Gold Nanoparticles

Xuedi Qin; Sanfeng He; Jiasheng Wu; Yaqi Fan; Fang Wang; Songwei Zhang; Siqi Li; Lianshun Luo; Yanhang Ma; Yongjin Lee; Tao Li

doi:10.1021/acscentsci.9b01205

Tracking and Visualization of Functional Domains in Stratified Metal-Organic Frameworks Using Gold Nanoparticles

ACS Cent Sci. 2020 Feb 26;6(2):247-253. doi: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b01205. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Authors

Xuedi Qin^{1

2

3}, Sanfeng He¹, Jiasheng Wu¹, Yaqi Fan¹, Fang Wang¹, Songwei Zhang¹, Siqi Li¹, Lianshun Luo¹, Yanhang Ma¹, Yongjin Lee¹, Tao Li¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
² Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
³ University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

Abstract

We report here a new technique for the identification and visualization of functional domains in stratified metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The technique, namely, gold diffusion enabled domain identification, utilizes the diffusion of Au nanoparticles within MOF cavities to track and selectively stain the more Au-philic domain in an MOF particle thereby allowing direct observation of domains, determination of domain sequences, and, in certain cases, domain boundaries under transmission electron microscopy. This method is an excellent tool for studying MOF materials with complex domain hierarchy.