Our current interest focuses on designing these framework materials especially MOFs (along with HOFs, COFs and CPs) for their potential applications in energy media (such as H2, CH4, C2H2 gas storage, proton conducting membranes PEMs for H2 fuel cells), separation (such as CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS), hydrocarbon separation, industrially important gas separation and chiral/achiral molecule separation), catalysis (such as heterogeneous catalysis, asymmetric catalysis and photo-catalysis) and sensing (small molecules like metal ions and solvents) areas. We are also employing the MOFs as electrochemical energy storage systems (supercapacitor, battery). We wish our research will lead to new developments in synthetic and structural design and provide useful direction for the future exploration of this fascinating and important domain of research.  

​

    The students will have a solid training in all aspects of crystallography. Generally, 1-5 steps organic synthesis of ligands are required followed by characterization with NMR, Mass, IR, EA, UV-Vis etc. MOFs are generally synthesized by hydro(solvothermal) techniques followed by characterization with single crystal (SC-XRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and TGA. Other characterizations such as FTIR, EA, EDX, XPS, FESEM are also often performed. Surface area, porosity and gas sorption/gas separation measurements are performed with a volumetric gas sorption analyzer. The proton conductivity measurements are carried out by AC impedance method with an Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzer (Solartron SI 1260). Electrochemical measurements for supercapacitor and battery applications are performed by electrochemical workstations.