Special projects between Bavaria and Florida

Department Chemie und Biochemie
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Quantachrome instruments

Characterization of porosity and structure relations by gas adsorption in metal organic frameworks

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have set new benchmarks in gas adsorption and storage, owing to the unique combination of porosity, crystallinity and structural robustness. These features render MOFs excellent candidates for applications in gas storage, sensing, and catalysis.
In this project we explore the use of MOF nanocrystals in photonic crystal-based gas sensors, where adsorption directly translates into an optical response of the system. Due to the intricate relation between sorption and optical properties of the sensor, we aim at exploring the physisorption behaviour of different MOF systems when exposed to a variety of gases, including non-standard adsorptives such as carbon dioxide, methane, or hydrogen. Understanding the porous structure of MOFs will help us tuning the synthesis in order to optimize the optical sensing performance.