Assembly of Colloidal Clusters Driven by the Polyhedral Shape of Metal-Organic Framework Particles.

Yang Liu,Daniel Maspoch,Jiemin Wang,Inhar Imaz

doi:10.1021/jacs.1c05363

Abstract

Control of the assembly of colloidal particles into discrete or higher-dimensional architectures is important for the design of myriad materials, including plasmonic sensing systems and photonic crystals. Here, we report a new approach that uses the polyhedral shape of metal–organic-framework (MOF) particles to direct the assembly of colloidal clusters. This approach is based on controlling the attachment of a single spherical polystyrene particle on each face of a polyhedral particle via colloidal fusion synthesis, so that the polyhedral shape defines the final coordination number, which is equal to the number of faces, and geometry of the assembled colloidal cluster. As a proof of concept, we assembled six-coordinated (6-c) octahedral and 8-c cubic clusters using cubic ZIF-8 and octahedral UiO-66 core particles. Moreover, we extended this approach to synthesize a highly coordinated 12-c cuboctahedral cluster from a rhombic dodecahedral ZIF-8 particle. We anticipate that the synthesized colloidal clusters could be further evolved into spherical core–shell MOF@polystyrene particles under conditions that promote a higher fusion degree, thus expanding the methods available for the synthesis of MOF–polymer composites.

Highlights

Control of the assembly of colloidal particles into discrete or higher-dimensional architectures is important for the design of myriad materials, including plasmonic sensing systems and photonic crystals
These strategies are mainly based on either the growth of particles on the surface of a preformed particle, via phase-separation phenomena or surface nucleation and growth, or the controlled assembly of presynthesized particles via attractive interactions such as DNA hybridization, electrostatic interactions, and/or van der Waals forces.[14]. These synthetic methods typically use spherical particles, such as silica, polymers, and inorganic particles. They all must accomplish the difficult task of directing the assembly and/or growth of particles on the surface of isotropic spherical particles via methods such as tuning the size ratio between the particles or phase-separation phenomena to control the coordination number and geometry of the synthesized colloidal cluster
The polyhedral particles act as core particles with predetermined “instructions” that direct the coordination number and geometry of the synthesized colloidal clusters

Summary

Introduction

Control of the assembly of colloidal particles into discrete or higher-dimensional architectures is important for the design of myriad materials, including plasmonic sensing systems and photonic crystals. The polyhedral particles act as core particles with predetermined “instructions” that direct the coordination number and geometry of the synthesized colloidal clusters.

Results

Conclusion