Polymer@MOF@MOF: “grafting from” atom transfer radical polymerization for the synthesis of hybrid porous solids

Abstract

PMMA@IRMOF-3@MOF-5, a hybrid polymer–MOF composite, was produced through a combination of core–shell and post-synthetic modification techniques. The core–shell architecture allows polymer chains to be tethered to the outer shell selectively.

The application of a core–shell architecture allows the formation of a polymer-coated metal–organic framework (MOF) maintaining high surface area (2289–2857 m ² g ⁻¹). The growth of a MOF shell from a MOF core was used to spatially localize initiators by post-synthetic modification. The confinement of initiators ensures that polymerization is restricted to the outer shell of the MOF.