Biomaterial Database

Crosslinking-induced patterning of MOFs by direct photo- and electron-beam lithography. 2024

Xiaoli Tian, and Fu Li, and Zhenyuan Tang, and Song Wang, and Kangkang Weng, and Dan Liu, and Shaoyong Lu, and Wangyu Liu, and Zhong Fu, and Wenjun Li, and Hengwei Qiu, and Min Tu, and Hao Zhang, and Jinghong Li

Department of Chemistry, Center for Bioanalytical Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with diverse chemistry, structures, and properties have emerged as appealing materials for miniaturized solid-state devices. The incorporation of MOF films in these devices, such as the integrated microelectronics and nanophotonics, requires robust patterning methods. However, existing MOF patterning methods suffer from some combinations of limited material adaptability, compromised patterning resolution and scalability, and degraded properties. Here we report a universal, crosslinking-induced patterning approach for various MOFs, termed as CLIP-MOF. Via resist-free, direct photo- and electron-beam (e-beam) lithography, the ligand crosslinking chemistry leads to drastically reduced solubility of colloidal MOFs, permitting selective removal of unexposed MOF films with developer solvents. This enables scalable, micro-/nanoscale (≈70 nm resolution), and multimaterial patterning of MOFs on large-area, rigid or flexible substrates. Patterned MOF films preserve their crystallinity, porosity, and other properties tailored for targeted applications, such as diffractive gas sensors and electrochromic pixels. The combined features of CLIP-MOF create more possibilities in the system-level integration of MOFs in various electronic, photonic, and biomedical devices.