Glass lanthanide metal-organic frameworks: Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization

• Grant number: 24/17334-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Danilo Manzani
• Grantee: Leandro Olivetti Estevam da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a class of materials that has received increasing attention since their discovery, mainly because of the large surface area presented by these materials due to the permanent porosity acquired by their structure. Various applications have been discovered for these structures, such as gas storage, separation of molecules, catalysis, photonics, drug delivery and many others. Specifically with regard to the photonic applications of these materials, such as optical sensing of physical and/or chemical properties, MOFs containing rare earth ions (RE3+) represent a special group of functional structures, mainly due to their spectroscopic properties specific to these metals. Over the last 10 years, the possibility of obtaining MOFs in glassy state has been discovered, which provides an improvement in their physical and mechanical properties, expanding the possibility of using these materials on a larger scale. However, to date there have been no studies into the development of glassy MOFs containing rare earth ions. Advanced spectroscopic studies (luminescence spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, for example) of the rare earth ions contained in MOFs can provide innovative information on the vitrification process of different structures and by different synthesis methods. In this way, the project in question aims to develop research at a fundamental level to deepen information on the vitrification process of MOFs containing rare earth ions, evaluating their structural, optical and thermal properties.