Twelfth Annual Grant Winners 2011-2012

Title: A Study of New Metal-Organic Frameworks as Gas Storage and Drug Delivery Media

Dean:
Don Rosenblum, PhD (FAR)

Faculty and Students:
Donald Baird, PhD (FAR)
Reena Parikh, BS (FAR)
James Brandes, BS (FAR)
Hugues Touze (FAR)

Abstract:

A new class of porous compounds known as metal-organic frameworks, or MOF's, has been shown to have applications in a diverse number of areas. In particular, they have been studied as candidates for gas storage, drug transfer and catalysis. One of the advantages of MOF's is their selective nature in terms of the agents upon which they act. Thus a large number of different MOF's is desirable. The key feature necessary for MOF's to find applicability is the ability to adsorb guest molecules in vacant spaces within carefully grown crystals. Later when the stored molecules are needed the crystals must release them. At NSU we have developed a new type of MOF which relies on intermolecular forces rather than covalent bonds to hold the framework together. It is now necessary to determine the applicability of the new frameworks to gas storage and drug delivery problems. The new MOF's will be tested to determine their ability to host and then release a number of guest molecules. This will be monitored using infrared spectroscopy, gc-ms, X-ray crystallography, thermal gravimetric analysis and gas adsorption studies. Ultimately it is the goal of this project is to apply one or more of these frameworks to specific problems in the areas of gas storage and drug delivery.