Nanowerk June 26, 2024
Hybrid glasses derived from meltable metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) promise to combine the intriguing properties of MOFs with the universal processing ability of glasses. Researchers in Germany developed optical-quality glasses derived from the zeolitic imidazole framework which allowed them to perform in-depth studies of optical transparency and refraction across the ultraviolet to near-infrared spectral range. Using this fundamental data, they demonstrated the fabrication of micro-optical devices by thermal imprinting. They showed that concave as well as convex lens structures could be obtained at high precision by remelting the glass without trading-off on material quality. This enabled multifunctional micro-optical devices combining the gas uptake and permeation ability of MOFs with the optical functionality of glass. As an example, they demonstrated the reversible change of optical refraction upon the incorporation of volatile guest molecules… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
MOF-glass for advanced optical applications: from crystals to responsive micro-optical elements. Credit: Nature Communications volume 15, Article number: 5079 (2024)