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Breakthrough in MOF research: Electrical conductivity revolutionized!
KIT researchers are developing new MOF thin films with high conductivity for electronic applications. Results published in “Materials Horizons”.
Breakthrough in MOF research: Electrical conductivity revolutionized!
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in cooperation with partners from Germany and Brazil, have achieved a groundbreaking development in the field of metal-organic framework compounds (MOFs). These highly porous materials are characterized by their adaptable structure and have so far only had limited use in electronics due to their low electrical conductivity. KIT reports that the newly developed MOF thin film is now able to conduct electric current as well as a metal.
The results of this promising research have been published in the journal Materials Horizons. It is a new manufacturing process to reduce defects in MOFs that often affect electrical properties. While previous studies blamed interfaces between crystal domains for the low conductivity, the research team has now been able to minimize these problems. By using AI and robotic synthesis in a self-controlled laboratory, the MOF material Cu3(HHTP)2 was optimized. The electrical conductivity of this substance exceeds 200 Siemens per meter at room temperature, with even higher values being reached at lower temperatures down to -173.15 °C.
Structure and properties of Cu3(HHTP)2
C3(HHTP)2 is not only important for its electrical properties but also has an impressive structure. According to analysis, the lattice parameters of the material were determined to be a = b = 21.2 Å and c = 6.6 Å. This material structure consists of 2D hexagonal layers stacked in an offset parallel configuration. The morphology of Cu3(HHTP)2 resembles uniform rods, which was confirmed by FE-SEM analysis. This specific structure provides a high surface area, which is beneficial for various applications in catalysis and material separation.
The electrical conductivity of the material in powder form is 0.01 S cm−1 and 0.04 S cm−1 in the form of electrode composites. This MOF has also proven useful as a cathode material for aqueous zinc rechargeable batteries, in which reversible Zn2+ insertion and removal reactions have been observed. Nature describes interesting electrochemical properties, including an initial reversible capacity of 228 mAh g−1, which is maintained over 30 charging cycles.
Applications and future prospects
The combination of automated synthesis, material characterization and theoretical modeling opens new perspectives for the use of MOFs in electronics. Possible applications include not only sensors and quantum materials, but also tailor-made functional materials that can be specifically optimized for different areas of application. The MOF Cu3(HHTP)2 shows Dirac cones, which offers new possibilities for studying transport phenomena in these materials.
The physical unit of electrical conductivity, measured in Siemens per meter (S/m), confirms the efficiency of this material. To deepen the understanding of electrical conductivity, it is important to know that conductors typically represent values above 10⁶ S/m. A value of over 200 S/m makes Cu3(HHTP)2 a promising candidate for future electronic applications. Sanier.de explains, that free electrons in a material are crucial for the electrical conductivity, which could be optimized in MOFs through the new manufacturing processes.