FURI | Fall 2018

The self-assembly of metal-organic supra-molecules

Supra-molecules are large “hollow” molecules typically composed of small rigid metal-organic (MO) frameworks which have many potential applications, such as gas separation and storage, as well as targeted drug delivery. Due to the rigidity of the underlying MO frameworks, a supra-molecule usually possesses a well-defined polyhedral shape, such as the truncated cuboctahedron. The research team will assess how the self-assembly structure arises from the characteristics of the supra-molecules and their interactions with the graphite substrate. Which factors play a more important role in the self-assembly process: the overall symmetry and shape of the supra-molecules or the specific atomic interactions?