Multimodal and Multiscale Interrogation of a Mechanically Tough Glass Forming Copper-Based Metal-Organic Framework
Abstract
A copper-based metal-organic framework, Cu(Im)2, was synthesized using a sol-gel process and subsequently melt-quenched into glass upon heating above 240 °C. In this paper, we present a multimodal, multiscale interrogation of the MOF nanocrystals and the resulting glasses. Structural characterization using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy was performed to understand the morphology and size of the synthesized nanocrystals and glasses. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to understand the melting process of the crystals to form the glass. Synchrotron pair distribution function analysis was performed to verify that the framework structure is maintained upon melting, and nearfield infrared nanospectroscopy provided insight into the local chemical structure of the materials. The mechanical characterization via nanoindentation revealed that the resulting glasses exhibit an appreciably high elastic modulus (~10 GPa) and the highest fracture toughness (K_1c ~ 0.5 MPa m^1/2) yet reported for MOF glasses. This development is central to the emerging field of MOF-based materials processing and shaping, while upholding mechanical robustness and resistance to cracking.
Related
- Life Operators: a self-evolving framework for multiscale life modelling
- A First-Principles Multiscale Framework for Topological Superconductivity
- A wave-particle decomposition framework for multiscale kinetic transport: continuous-spectrum equations and coupled wave-particle iteration
- Towards Intelligent Educational Assessment: A Multimodal NLP Framework for Automated Feedback Generation and Personalized Learning Analytics
- High-Speed, High-Resolution On-Board Optical Time Stretch-based FBG Interrogation System for SHM
BibTeX
@misc{skafi2026multimodal,
title = {{Multimodal and Multiscale Interrogation of a Mechanically Tough Glass Forming Copper-Based Metal-Organic Framework}},
author = {Mounir El Skafi and Guo-Qiang Li and Sophie R. Thomas and James D. Taylor and Mark Frogley and Gianfelice Cinque and Marc Pignitter and Michael Reithofer and Jia-Min Chin and Sebastian Henke and Jin-Chong Tan},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.03725},
eprint = {2609.03725},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03725},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Multimodal and Multiscale Interrogation of a Mechanically Tough Glass Forming Copper-Based Metal-Organic Framework
AU - Mounir El Skafi
AU - Guo-Qiang Li
AU - Sophie R. Thomas
AU - James D. Taylor
AU - Mark Frogley
AU - Gianfelice Cinque
AU - Marc Pignitter
AU - Michael Reithofer
AU - Jia-Min Chin
AU - Sebastian Henke
AU - Jin-Chong Tan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/03
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.03725
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03725
AB - A copper-based metal-organic framework, Cu(Im)2, was synthesized using a sol-gel process and subsequently melt-quenched into glass upon heating above 240 °C. In this paper, we present a multimodal, multiscale interrogation of the MOF nanocrystals and the resulting glasses. Structural characterization using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy was performed to understand the morphology and size of the synthesized nanocrystals and glasses. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were employed to understand the melting process of the crystals to form the glass. Synchrotron pair distribution function analysis was performed to verify that the framework structure is maintained upon melting, and nearfield infrared nanospectroscopy provided insight into the local chemical structure of the materials. The mechanical characterization via nanoindentation revealed that the resulting glasses exhibit an appreciably high elastic modulus (~10 GPa) and the highest fracture toughness (K_1c ~ 0.5 MPa m^1/2) yet reported for MOF glasses. This development is central to the emerging field of MOF-based materials processing and shaping, while upholding mechanical robustness and resistance to cracking.
ER -