Free-Standing Nanometer-Thick Covalent Organic Framework Films for Separating CO₂ and N₂

Oriented thin films of a benzodithiophene covalent organic framework.

A mesoporous electron-donor covalent organic framework based on a benzodithiophene core, BDT-COF, was obtained through condensation of a benzodithiophene-containing diboronic acid and hexahydroxytriphenylene (HHTP). BDT-COF is a highly porous, crystalline, and thermally stable material, which can be handled in air. Highly porous, crystalline oriented thin BDT-COF films were synthesized from sol...

Metal−Organic Framework Thin Films Composed of Free-Standing Acicular Nanorods Exhibiting Reversible Electrochromism

A uniform and crack-free metal−organic framework (MOF) thin film composed of free-standing acicular nanorods was grown on a transparent conducting glass substrate. The MOF thin film exhibits electrochromic switching between yellow and deep blue by means of a one-electron redox reaction at its pyrene-based linkers. The rigid MOF stabilizes the radical cations of the pyrene linkers at positive ap...

Structure and shear response in nanometer thick films

Simulations of the structure and dynamics of fluid films confined to a thickness of a few molecular diameters are described. Confining walls introduce layering and in-plane order in the adjacent fluid. The latter is essential to transfer of shear stress. As the film thickness is decreased, by increasing pressure or decreasing the number of molecular layers, the entire film may undergo a phase t...

Thermophysical properties of free-standing micrometer-thick Poly (3-hexylthiophene) films

Ptychographic Imaging of Branched Colloidal Nanocrystals Embedded in Free-Standing Thick Polystyrene Films

Research on composite materials is facing, among others, the challenging task of incorporating nanocrystals, and their superstructures, in polymer matrices. Electron microscopy can typically image nanometre-scale structures embedded in thin polymer films, but not in films that are micron size thick. Here, X-ray Ptychography was used to visualize, with a resolution of a few tens of nanometers, h...