Using a novel layer-by-layer approach we have deposited metal−organic open frameworks (MOFs) based on benzenetricarboxylic acid ligands and Cu(II)-ions on a COOH-terminated organic surface. The deposited layers were characterized using a number of surface analysis techniques. XRD measurements show that the MOFs deposited using this method have the same bulk structure of HKUST-1.

The fabrication of thin film coatings of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on various substrates is discussed in this critical review. Interestingly, the relatively few studies on MOF films that have appeared in the literature are limited to the following cases: [Zn4O(bdc)3] (MOF-5; bdc=1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), [Cu3(btc)2] (HKUST-1; btc=1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), [Zn2(bdc)2(dabco)] (dabco=1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane), [Mn(HCOO)], [Cu2(pzdc)2(pyz)] (CPL-1; pzdc=pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylate, pyz=pyrazine), [Fe(OH)(bdc)] (MIL-53(Fe)) and [Fe3O(bdc)3(Ac)] (MIL-88B; Ac=CH3COO-). Various substrates and support materials have been used, including silica, porous alumina, graphite and organic surfaces, i.e. self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold, as well as silica surfaces. Most of the MOF films were grown by immersion of the selected substrates into specifically pre-treated solvothermal mother liquors of the particular MOF material. This results in more or less densely packed films of intergrown primary crystallites of sizes ranging up to several microm, leading to corresponding film thicknesses. Alternatively, almost atomically flat and very homogenous films, with thicknesses of up to ca. 100 nm, were grown in a novel stepwise layer-by-layer method. The individual growth steps are separated by removing unreacted components via rinsing the substrate with the solvent. The layer-by-layer method offers the possibility to study the kinetics of film formation in more detail using surface plasmon resonance. In some cases, particularly on SAM-modified substrates, a highly oriented growth was observed, and in the case of the MIL-53/MIL-88B system, a phase selective deposition of MIL-88B, rather than MIL-53(Fe), was reported. The growth of MOF thin films is important for smart membranes, catalytic coatings, chemical sensors and related nanodevices (63 references).

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly porous materials generally consisting of two building elements: inorganic coupling units and organic linkers. These frameworks offer an enormous porosity, which can be used to store large amounts of gases and, as demonstrated in more recent applications, makes these compounds suitable for drug release. The huge sizes of the pores inside MOFs, however, also give rise to a fundamental complication, namely the formation of sublattices occupying the same space. This interpenetration greatly reduces the pore size and thus the available space within the MOF structure. We demonstrate here that the formation of the second, interpenetrated framework can be suppressed by using liquid-phase epitaxy on an organic template. This success demonstrates the potential of the step-by-step method to synthesize new classes of MOFs not accessible by conventional solvothermal methods.

One step at a time: The in situ monitoring of the step-by-step formation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) by using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), allows the nucleation process and the formation of the secondary building units to be investigated. Growth rates on functionalized organic surfaces with different crystallographic orientations can also be studied.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a fascinating class of novel inorganic-organic hybrid materials. They are essentially based on classic coordination chemistry and hold much promise for unique applications ranging from gas storage and separation to chemical sensing, catalysis, and drug release. The evolution of the full innovative potential of MOFs, in particular for nanotechnology and device integration, however requires a fundamental understanding of the formation process of MOFs. Also necessary is the ability to control the growth of thin MOF films and the positioning of size- and shape-selected crystals as well as MOF heterostructures on a given surface in a well-defined and oriented fashion. MOFs are solid-state materials typically formed by solvothermal reactions and their crystallization from the liquid phase involves the surface chemistry of their building blocks. This Review brings together various key aspects of the surface chemistry of MOFs.