College of Arts & Sciences

Jasjit Kaur

College of Arts & Sciences Chemistry

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Haifeng Ji Chemistry

Gregory Schwenk Co-Mentor

Applications of Flexible Metal Organic Framework Crystals

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are compounds with both organic and inorganic components. This unique structure has attracted much attention to their applications in pharmaceuticals, gas storage and sensing, and catalysis. However, MOFs are not commercially available or easily synthesized, as their underlying growth mechanisms are still largely unknown. This research focused on various crystal-growing methods to further analyze the applications of these compounds. The vapor diffusion method yielded the best results of copper acetylacetonate crystals, a MOF that is known to exhibit mechanical flexibility. The flexibility of the MOF was confirmed using nanoindentation to bend the crystals. From the results of an IV curve generated on a Keithley SourceMeter®, the crystals were found to be electrically conductive, and when tested in a Field Effect Transistor (FET), results signified that copper acetylacetonate was an n-type semiconductor. Further tests will be conducted to explore if the compound exhibits piezoelectricity or gas sensing performance.