Synthesis of 2D Porous Crystalline Materials in Simulated Microgravity

Abstract

To date, crystallization studies conducted in space laboratories, which are prohibitively costly and unsuitable to most research laboratories, have shown the valuable effects of microgravity during crystal growth and morphogenesis. Herein, an easy and highly efficient method is shown to achieve space-like experimentation conditions on Earth employing custom-made microfluidic devices to fabricate 2D porous crystalline molecular frameworks. It is confirmed that experimentation under these simulated microgravity conditions has unprecedented effects on the orientation, compactness and crack-free generation of 2D porous crystalline molecular frameworks as well as in their integration and crystal morphogenesis. It is believed that this work will provide a new "playground" to chemists, physicists, and materials scientists that desire to process unprecedented 2D functional materials and devices.

Keywords: 2D porous crystalline materials; covalent organic frameworks; metal-organic frameworks; microfluidic technologies; simulated microgravity.