Defibrillation of soft porous metal-organic frameworks with electric fields

TLDR

Many MOFs exhibit soft porosity, allowing their lattices to deform significantly. Applying an electric field to ZIF‑8 membranes induces a polar polymorph with a stiffer lattice, reducing gas transport yet enhancing propane/propene separation. Knebel et al., Science, this issue p.

Abstract

Tuning porosity with electric fields Many metal-organic framework (MOF) compounds exhibit soft porosity—i.e., their lattices can undergo considerable deformation. Knebel et al. formed membrane layers of the MOF ZIF-8 and found that it was converted into a polar polymorph with a stiffer lattice in response to an applied electric field (see the Perspective by Gascon). This change reduced gas transport but, for certain gas mixtures such as propane and propene, also improved their separation factor. Science , this issue p. 347 ; see also p. 303