Reticular Chemistry is a branch of chemistry, which studies crystalline structures, including MOFs and COFs. The crystals are synthesized with molecular building units, such as inorganic nodes and organic struts. These materials are typically porous and have an extremely high surface area, which can be decorated with various chemical functional groups to induce selective interactions with incoming molecules. The structural and compositional variations of the materials are theoretically unlimited; however, many of them are still experimentally unachievable. We target inventing new crystalline materials by overcoming the existing synthetic challenges and use them to solve problems in the energy and biology fields.

Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) are a class of porous crystalline materials constructed from organic building blocks that are covalently linked to form one-, two-, or three-dimensional structures. These unique structural attributes offer a range of beneficial properties, making COFs desirable for various applications. A standout feature of COFs is their structural and functional tunability; the strategic selection of building blocks facilitates the systematic modulation of their properties. Notably, COFs possess a high surface area and pore volume, allowing guest molecules to swiftly diffuse in and out and engage in rapid kinetic interactions. Moreover, COFs demonstrate notable chemical and thermal stability due to the covalent linkages, enabling them to preserve their structure and function under harsh conditions. Given these attributes, COFs present significant potential in addressing challenges in various applications, such as, gas storage, separation, and catalysis.

Current hydrogen storage systems for light-duty vehicles require high pressure (> 700 bars) or cryogenic temperature (-252 °C) to store hydrogen in a high density. These methods are not sustainable in the long term since the methods require significant energy and cause safety issues. Our group will develop molecular and nanocrystals that bind and release hydrogen at or near room temperature below 100 bars. Hydrogen storage systems based on these materials can operate more efficiently and safely, ultimately replacing the current hydrogen storage systems. In this project, students will learn how to design, synthesize, and characterize crystalline materials with strong hydrogen binding properties and study their storage capacity and kinetics.