Inversion of Dispersion: Colloidal Stability of Calixarene-Modified Metal–Organic Framework Nanoparticles in Nonpolar Media

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b04198
• Publication Date: 2019-06-11T16:35:16Z
• Authors: Uiseok Jeong; Nesibe A. Dogan; Mousumi Garai; Thien S. Nguyen; J. Fraser Stoddart; Cafer T. Yavuz
• Keywords: Calixarene; Polystyrene; SBus; Linker

Making metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) that are stabilized in nonpolar media is not as straightforward making their inorganic nanoparticle counterparts, since surfactants penetrate through the porous structures or dissolve secondary building units (SBUs) ligand-exchange linker modulator mechanisms. Herein, we report calixarenes stabilize UIO-66 nanoparticles effectively by remaining outside grains size exclusion, without pores becoming blocked, all while providing amphiphilicity permits formation of stable colloidal dispersions with much narrower distributions. Using dispersed solutions, show smooth films from an otherwise immiscible polystyrene can be made feasibly.