Eu-MOF crystals which look suprisingly like chips or French fries
Fish and chips is a classic dish, however this month’s Crystal Clear is noticeably lacking in the crystal fish department.
These chips (or French fries) are in fact crystals of a metal organic framework (MOF) constructed with Eu3+ and 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylic acid. The synthesis is performed in a mixture of water and DMF and the crystal size and shape can be manipulated by altering the ratio of the two liquids.
The team from Qingdao and Changchun in China were looking at the influence additives and reaction conditions have on the MOF crystal morphology, these materials have interesting luminescence properties and potential application in colour displays and sensors. To read the full details of the teams discoveries take a look at Issue 8 of CrystEngComm, where you can also see how they were able to make ‘urchin-like balls’ as well as the pictured chips! l
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Solvothermal synthesis of luminescent Eu(BTC)(H2O)DMF hierarchical architectures
Biao Xu, Hailing Guo, Song Wang, Yuyang Li, Hongjie Zhang and Chenguang Liu
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