Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Metal-Organic Frameworks

Chemistry In Pictures

Chemistry in Pictures: Let there be light

by Brianna Barbu
November 10, 2022

Credit: Nima Tabatabaei Rezaei

In the beginning, there was darkness: a nonfluorescent solution of cesium bromide, lead(II) bromide, and a metal-organic framework dispersed in dimethyl sulfoxide. But all it takes is the addition of some hexanes as an “antisolvent” to get the metal ions to assemble themselves into bright green fluorescent perovskite quantum dots inside the MOF’s nanosized pores.

Nima Tabatabaei Rezaei, a PhD student in mechanical engineering at the University of Calgary, captured the luminous transformation on video as part of his research on ways to stabilize quantum dots for biological imaging applications. The goal is to prevent the perovskites from shedding toxic lead ions inside cells. Tucked inside the MOF framework, the nanoparticles are shielded from degradation by moisture and oxygen for months, compared to mere hours for quantum dots made by traditional ligand-assisted methods. Tabatabaei Rezaei envisions that stable quantum dot–carrying MOFs could also be loaded with drugs for targeted delivery.

Submitted by Nima Tabatabaei Rezaei

Do science. Take pictures. Win money. Enter our photo contest here.

Click here to see more Chemistry in Pictures.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.