Shooting a movie in the lab requires special equipment, especially when the actors are molecules. Professor Emiliano Cortés from LMU emphasizes the need for a special method to make the action visible when filming tiny reactions, like those involved in the synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs). Despite 20 years of research, scientists have been unable to fully understand the synthesis of COFs, leading to a trial and error approach in their development. Christoph Gruber and Cortés’s team collaborated with chemist Prof. Dana Medina to shed light on the complex synthesis processes and optimize them using the tools of physics.
Using a special microscope, the team managed to follow the formation mechanism of the COFs at the nano-level and published their results in the journal Nature. Gruber used iSCAT microscopy to visualize the reaction as it unfolds in real time, providing insights into the early stages of COF formation. The researchers were surprised to observe the presence of nanometer-scale droplets that play a crucial role in the synthesis, controlling the kinetics at the beginning of the reaction. These findings were unknown before and highlight the importance of nano-droplets in the formation of COFs.
The iSCAT method enabled the LMU team to capture dynamic processes and watch the synthesis live, recording a film showing the progressive formation of the COFs with a sensitivity of a few nanometers. This breakthrough in understanding the early stages of the reaction could revolutionize the synthesis of over 300 different COFs and drive advances in industrial COF production. By designing energy-efficient synthesis conditions based on their results, the researchers were able to reduce the temperature of the reaction, leading to the formation of molecular frameworks at room temperature instead of 120 degrees Celsius.
The researchers’ results could have far-reaching effects on the synthesis of other materials and chemical reactions not yet observed in real time. By gaining a holistic picture of the early stages of the reaction, they have closed the gap in their knowledge and set the stage for further advancements in the field. The team is excited about the potential for shooting new films with molecules in the starring role and contributing to the development of promising energy materials like COFs. Through their innovative approach combining physics and chemistry, they have paved the way for more efficient and controlled synthesis processes in the future.