Glasgow: Molecular LEGO kit to create nano-cubes

Research lead

Scientists at Glasgow University, UK, have developed a molecular LEGO toolkit which can be used to assemble new and functional chemical compounds.

Researchers in the Department of Chemistry created hollow cube-based frameworks from polyoxometalates (POMs) - complex compounds made from metal and oxygen atoms - which stick together like LEGO bricks, meaning a whole range of well-defined architectures can be developed with ease.

The researchers chose a wheel-shaped polyoxometalate molecule, containing a 1-nanometre wide hole, which acts as window to the molecule. The cyclic compounds self-assemble in water to form cubic single crystals.

The windows of the ring-shaped building blocks lead to very large internal pores, which means these new compounds can effectively act like storage boxes for ions and molecules.

The researchers say very large POM frameworks could be used as ion fuel cells, batteries, sensors, catalysts and other new nanotechnologies.

Lee Cronin, Gardiner Chair of Chemistry, who led the study, said, “The ability to build highly-robust inorganic structures in a LEGO-like fashion is a huge boon to chemists, presenting many potential applications.”

One of the prime applications is expected to be in catalysts. Cronin said, “Our research focuses on the design and synthesis of nanoscale functional molecular architectures which can be used as industrial catalysts that are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than current materials.”