Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered miracle materials in modern chemistry. These are porous structures made up of metal ions (or clusters) and organic compound molecules - similar to a molecular scaffold. Thanks to their high porosity and large surface area, MOFs can store large quantities of gases, accelerate chemical reactions or even transport drugs in a targeted manner. So far, the use of rigid 3D crystals has been investigated, but they have limits in terms of flexibility and scalability.

Reaction at the interface
Researchers led by Professors Dr. Patrick Shahgaldian (FHNW School of Life Sciences) and Dr. Jonathan De Roo (Department of Chemistry, University of Basel) have now produced a single stable nanolayer of the well-known MOF UiO-66 for the first time.

They use prefabricated metal-oxygen building blocks (zirconium and hafnium oxo clusters) and organic molecules with water-repellent chains. They apply these to interfaces between air and a liquid (water or DMF). The clusters dissolve in the liquid, while the organic molecules spread out on the surface and float. "Through chemical bonding, the building blocks then self-organize into an ordered, flexible layer only 3 nanometers thick at the interface," describes Dr. Ajmal Roshan Unniram Parambil, first author of the study, who carried out the work as part of his doctoral thesis at the PhD School of the Swiss Nanoscience Institute at the University of Basel.

These ultra-thin layers are particularly interesting for applications such as sensors, catalysts or membranes, as they offer better accessibility to the active metal centers and can be easily integrated into existing technologies. "In addition, we do not need toxic solvents or high temperatures during production - a decisive advantage for sustainable production processes," notes Patrick Shahgaldian.

"This work shows that we can assemble complex nanostructures such as MOFs like a Lego system - and no longer just as rigid crystals, but as flexible, functional layers. This opens up completely new possibilities for materials science and its applications," summarizes Jonathan de Roo.

Original publication:

Two-Dimensional Frameworks From Metal Oxo Clusters at Liquid Interfaces
Ajmal Roshan Unniram Parambil, Muhammed Jibin Parammal, Prashant Hitaishi, Seyed Amirabbas Nazemi, Narmadha Devi Suresh Kumar, Alla Sologubenko, Stephan Handschin, Bridget M. Murphy, Thomas A. Jung, Jonathan De Roo, Patrick Shahgaldian
Small Structures,2026, 7, e202600005. https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202600005

Further Information
Website Swiss Nanoscience Institute
Website research group Prof. Jonathan De Roo