MOF crystal-glass composites (MOF CGCs) are materials with crystalline MOFs embedded within a MOF glass. Here we develop two novel MOF CGCs, and explore the gas uptake and guest-size limitations within these materials.

Organic-inorganic hybrid polymers based on ureasils have found application as waveguides in luminescent solar concentrators and visible light communications. The mechanical properties, and thus processability of ureasils, has previously been qualitatively linked to the chemical structure, but has not yet been studied in detail. In this study, a series of low molecular weight ureasil polymers has been synthesised, and the correlation between the chemical structure and the optical and mechanical properties investigated. A wide-range of techniques are employed to investigate this relationship, including steady-state photoluminescence and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, 4-point flexural testing, and uniaxial tensile testing.

The thermal behaviour of ZIF-8, Zn(meIm)2 in the presence of a sodium fluoroaluminophosphate glass melt was probed through differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The structural integrity of ZIF-8 was...

The incorporation of silole-based lumophores into a photoactive organic–inorganic ureasil host via covalent grafting or physical mixing results in enhanced photoluminescence through aggregation and host–guest energy transfer.

<p></p><p>Metal-organic framework crystal-glass composites (MOF CGCs) have previously been formed by embedding crystalline MIL-53(Al) within a ZIF-62 glass (<i>a</i>_gZIF-62) matrix. Here we highlight thermal stability considerations in the formation of MOF CGCs, and subsequently report the synthesis of two novel MOF CGCs, by incorporating MIL-118, and UL-MOF-1 within <i>a</i>_gZIF-62. These new materials, alongside the prototypical MOF CGC formed using MIL-53(Al), were studied using scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and gas sorption techniques. The gas uptake in composites formed from MIL-118C and UL-MOF-1 is largely dominated by the <i>a</i>_gZIF-62 matrix, suggesting that to improve the porosity of the MOF CGC, the matrix porosity must be improved, or a percolation threshold must be overcome.</p><br><p></p>