Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework Superstructures from Ice-Templated Self-Assembly

Yujie Song; Xiaokai Song; Xiaoke Wang; Jingzheng Bai; Fang Cheng; Chao Lin; Xin Wang; Hui Zhang; Jianhua Sun; Tiejun Zhao; Hiroki Nara; Yoshiyuki Sugahara; Xiaopeng Li; Yusuke Yamauchi

doi:10.1021/jacs.2c06109

Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Framework Superstructures from Ice-Templated Self-Assembly

J Am Chem Soc. 2022 Sep 28;144(38):17457-17467. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c06109. Epub 2022 Sep 14.

Authors

Yujie Song¹, Xiaokai Song^{1

2}, Xiaoke Wang¹, Jingzheng Bai¹, Fang Cheng¹, Chao Lin³, Xin Wang^{1

4}, Hui Zhang¹, Jianhua Sun¹, Tiejun Zhao⁵, Hiroki Nara², Yoshiyuki Sugahara^{2

6

7}, Xiaopeng Li³, Yusuke Yamauchi^{2

6

7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Advanced Functional Materials for Energy, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, China.
² International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
³ State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials & College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
⁴ Analysis and Testing Center, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, China.
⁵ Jiangsu JITRI-Topsoe Clean Energy Research and Development Co., Ltd., 2266 Taiyang Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215100, China.
⁶ Kagami Memorial Institute for Materials Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Nishi-Waseda 2-8-26, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-0051, Japan.
⁷ Department of Applied Chemistry and Department of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan.
⁸ Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.

PMID: 36102877
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06109

Abstract

Here, we report the synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) layered metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticle (NP) superstructures via an ice-templating strategy. MOF NP monolayers and bilayers can be obtained by regulating the concentration of colloidal MOF NPs without any external fields during self-assembly. Adjacent polyhedral MOF NPs are packed and aligned through crystalline facets, resulting in the formation of a quasi-ordered array superstructure. The morphology of the MOF layers is well preserved when subjected to pyrolysis, and the obtained carbon NPs have hollow interiors driven by the outward contraction of MOF precursors during pyrolysis. With the advantages of large surface areas, hierarchical porosity, high exposure of active sites, and fast electron transport of the 2D layered structure, the mono- and bilayered carbon NP superstructures show better oxygen reduction activity than isolated carbon particles in alkaline media. Our work demonstrates that ice-templating is a powerful strategy to fabricate superstructures of various MOFs and their derivatives.