Frontispiece: Materials Formed by Combining Inorganic Glasses and Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Abstract

The formation of hybrid materials through the combination of the chemically versatile, functional metal‐organic framework (MOF) family is proposed, with ubiquitous, low cost and durable inorganic glasses. The blends and composites hence created may serve to minimise, and eventually solve cost, durability and processability issues of MOFs, whilst retaining their valuable properties.

Meltable, Glass-Forming, Iron Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

“…Reducing the melting temperature is very desirable, as it would reduce the energy required for the formation of the glasses and facilitate its interaction with other materials. ,, The most used strategy to achieve this reduction has been the incorporation of bulkier ligands. ,,,− In this sense, incorporating small amounts of bulkier imidazole derivatives, such as benzimidazole, reduces the melting temperature ( T m ) from 590 °C (as found in Zn­(im) 2 , also known as ZIF-4), to 310 °C (as found in Zn 0.8 Co 0.2 (im) 1.95 (bim) 0.025 (Clbim) 0.025 ) . In addition, it is also very important to increase the temperature interval between melting and thermal decomposition, in order to facilitate the preparation of glasses.…”