Jo Crane
Metal-Organic Frameworks
Metal-organic framework solids employ organic substituents (ligands) to link multiple metal centers together. By adjusting the length of the organic ligand, one can control the size of the formed cavity or pore. [Think about Tinker Toys™ and arranging them in a cube--the wood spools with holes represent the metal centers that are connected together with the dowels which represent the organic ligands. By changing the length of the dowels, the cavity increases or decreases in size.] Not only can the pore size be controlled with chemical synthesis, but the shape of the pore and/or the interconnecting tunnels can also be specifically designed by employing different metal centers. Metals have preferred coordination geometries (octahedral, tetrahedral, square planer, etc.); therefore, they "direct" the assembly of the framework. Metal-organic frameworks are designed for specific purposes such as small molecule storage and transport, and size-selective separation. This research focuses on the synthesis of the organic linkers as well as the solvothermal reactions through which the MOFs are formed.
Professor, Chemistry
Inorganic, Materials Science
Schedule
- Courses taught
- Inorganic Chemistry (CHEM 420)
- Chemistry of the Elements (CHEM 320)
- Chemical Analysis and Equilibrum (CHEM 230)
- Fundamental Chemistry I (CHEM 110)
