Darren Broom

That was long and hard work... And @larsohrstrom.bsky.social is now also on bsky!

This was my first MOF paper, and the first paper I published with Omar and Fraser.
(I published a second first author paper with both of them in JACS the next year on CO2 sequestration)

I dined out on these papers for so long.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

My first MOF paper: I started my journey with a collection of papers, all under the umbrella of highly stable pyrazolate-based MOFs #mof #mofs #chemistrynobel #chemnobel2025 #nobelprize

pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

My first paper (but not my first project...) was a computational exploration of single-atom sites deposited on NU-1000 for catalytic applications
pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1...

My first MOF paper. It was a passion project on five fold symmetric linkers and how they translate to extended structures.
pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

That sounds like a productive train journey.

It was two OUP books.

Graphical Abstract for the paper "In-situ growth of metal-organic frameworks in a reactive 3D printable material.". ZIF-8/ABS pellets 3D printed to remove malachite green from solution. Abstract reads: The additive manufacturing (3D printing) of porous materials will open unprecedented opportunities to design advanced supports for extraction and separation. Here we have fabricated a reactive ZnO nanoparticle (NP)/thermoplastic composite filament for 3D printing via fused deposition modeling. The composite filament contains a 10 wt% ZnO-NPs incorporated in the thermoplastic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). After 3D printing with the ZnO-NP/ABS filament, crystals of the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) are grown in-situ on the 3D printed part. In-situ ZIF-8 crystallization is achieved by a mild chemical conversion mechanism at room temperature, converting the embedded ZnO nanoparticles into ZIF-8 crystals which are subsequently expressed on the surface of the 3D printed device. The resulting ZIF-8@ZnO-NP/ABS 3D printed devices were applied to the extraction of malachite green as a model water pollutant, and delivered superior performance compared with an identical device made of pure ABS, or the precursor ZnO-NP/ABS. For comparison purposes, a ZIF-8/ABS filament was fabricated with a 10 wt% load of presynthesized ZIF-8 crystals. The in-situ ZIF-8 growth approach again showed enhanced extraction performance in comparison with materials directly loaded with ZIF-8 crystals, with an increase of 48% in the extraction of malachite green. This is the first example of ZnO to ZIF-8 chemical conversion on 3D printed devices.

My one and only MOF paper! The team integrated ZnO nanoparticles into 3D printer filament and made ZIF-8 after 3D printing. The ZIF-8 material was superior than the filament or the ZnO nanoparticles for dye sorption. My contribution was to powder diffraction. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Defect Processes in a PbS Metal Organic Framework: A Quantum-Confined Hybrid Semiconductor We report the effects of reduced dimensionality and organic networks on defect reactions in a hybrid solid of PbS (galena). Through first-principles calculations, we demonstrate that formation of the ...

I was a chemist working on the physics of semiconductors and found a path back home with the emerging field of electroactive MOFs pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Systematic Tuning of the Luminescence Output of Multicomponent Metal–Organic Frameworks Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit a broad range of luminescence characteristics due to the vast array of metal ions and organic linkers available as building blocks. Systematic control over the ...

My first MOF paper, back in 2018.
Blue + Yellow = White light emission.
pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Development of a Cambridge Structural Database Subset: A Collection of Metal–Organic Frameworks for Past, Present, and Future We report the generation and characterization of the most complete collection of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) maintained and updated, for the first time, by the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC). To set up this subset, we asked the question “what is a MOF?” and implemented a number of “look-for-MOF” criteria embedded within a bespoke Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) Python API workflow to identify and extract information on 69 666 MOF materials. The CSD MOF subset is updated regularly with subsequent MOF additions to the CSD, bringing a unique record for all researchers working in the area of porous materials around the world, whether to perform high-throughput computational screening for materials discovery or to have a global view over the existing structures in a single resource. Using this resource, we then developed and used an array of computational tools to remove residual solvent molecules from the framework pores of all the MOFs identified and went on to analyze geometrical and physical properties of nondisordered structures.

A few years ago, when we started looking at how we could define a MOF, we implemented six arbitrary criteria (pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....). Interestingly, according to these rules, we tracked down the very first structure that resembles a MOF from.. 1973! See: www.chemistryworld.com/opinion/my-a...

Here's my first "MOF" paper. Of course, we didn't call them MOFs then, and it's not porous. But it is cited in the MOF Nobel scientific press release, so I guess that counts.

pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

A highly porous metal–organic framework, constructed from a cuboctahedral super-molecular building block, with exceptionally high methane uptake A highly porous metal–organic framework Cu2(BBCDC) (BBCDC = 9,9′-([1,1′- [[b with combining low line]] iphenyl]-4,4′-diyl) [[b with combining low line]] is(9H- [[c with combining low line]] arbazole-3...

First report of DUT-49 which later became the unexpected basis for negative gas adsorption and my whole PhD. pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

The work of my 1st MOF paper attracts me into the wonderland of porous materials. Ever since, I've started the journey in this vast field.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

I believe the sustainable growth of science also comes from the humble and supportive attitudes of the great mind! 💕

Jumping on this great idea, here's my 1st #MOF paper: a dive into solvent and temperature driven structure change in IRMOF-9 single crystals 💎

As it's part of a special issue for Omar's Wolf prize, I still remember the emotion of an unexpected e-mail from him thanking me for the contribution 🥹

My first MOF (or coordination polymer - it had both alright!) paper 🥰 I learnt a healthy respect for silver and did some fun ligand synthesis for this work that I did in my Honours year
chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

My first MOF paper was the basis for a lot of my later work on adsorption in flexible structures. All the math was derived in 2 hours of Eurostar travel, and I'm still amazed it works so well! #mofs #chemsky #chemistrynobel pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

High or low?

A Family of Nanoporous Materials Based on an Amino Acid Backbone In the pocket: A nanoporous framework with internal surfaces lined with amino acid residues (see structure; Ni cyan, C gray (chiral centers yellow), H white, N blue, O red) is produced by the pillari...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Applying reticular synthesis to the design of Cu-based MOFs with mechanically interlocked linkers - Nano Research The concept of “robust dynamics” describes the incorporation of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) into metal-organic framework (MOF) materials such that large amplitude motions (e.g., rotation or translation of a macrocycle) can occur inside the free volume pore of the MOF. To aid in the preparation of such materials, reticular synthesis was used herein to design rigid molecular building blocks with predetermined ordered structures starting from the well-known MOF NOTT-101. New linkers were synthesized that have a T-shape, based on a triphenylene tetra-carboxylate strut, and their incorporation into Cu(II)-based MOFs was investigated. The single-crystal structures of three new MOFs, UWCM-12 (fof), β-UWCM-13 (loz), UWCM-14 (lil), with naked T-shaped linkers were determined; β-UWCM-13 is the first reported example of the loz topology. A fourth MOF, UWDM-14 (lil) is analogous to UWCM-14 (lil) but contains a [2]rotaxane linker. Variable-temperature, 2H solid-state NMR was used to probe the dynamics of a 24-membered macrocycle threaded onto the MOF skeleton.

Both MOFs and MORFs in this one!

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Unusual Adsorption Behavior on Metal−Organic Frameworks Metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown adsorption behavior that is not observed in other microporous materials such as zeolites or activated carbons. This study used grand canonical Monte Carlo si...

I still think my first MOF paper was really interesting, and I learnt a lot. Even if not everyone liked the term unusual, it was, indeed, not something I expected (hence unusual, or novel, but not Nobel) pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Hydrogen Storage in Mesoporous Coordination Frameworks: Experiment and Molecular Simulation A porous coordination framework material, Zn4O(BDC)(BTB)4/3 (labeled 1 for simplification), has been prepared and applied to hydrogen storage. Its storage capacity has been measured, and the absolute and excess H2 adsorption uptakes reach 6.23 and 5.43 wt % at 77 K and 20 bar, respectively. Moreover, a multiscale simulation method, which combines first-principles calculation and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation, has been used to evaluate H2 adsorption in this material. The simulation results successfully reproduce the experimentally determined hydrogen uptake in 1 at T = 77 K and in the pressure range 0−20 bar. Furthermore, the simulation predicts that the hydrogen capacity in 1 reaches 9.5 wt % at 77 K and 100 bar, which is among the highest reported in the literature to date. Clearly, this material is a promising adsorbent for hydrogen storage.

pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Designed layer assembly: a three-dimensional framework with 74% extra-framework volume by connection of infinite two-dimensional sheets A coordination polymer with 74% extra-framework volume is prepared by predictable linking of the honeycomb network to generate a framework-structured solid designed with two distinct connecting ligand...

If you work in MOFs, repost or reply to this with a link to your first MOF paper. We all started out in this amazing field somewhere. Mine is below. #mofs #chemsky #chemistrynobel #chemnobel2025 #Nobelprize
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

Maybe it'll start quantum tunnelling; although it doesn't look as if it's in too much of a rush to go anywhere.

It's obviously difficult to put precise numbers on it, just from a photo, but that carpet appears to be exhibiting a very low canine diffusion coefficient.

MOF inspired carpet in this pub. The 2D MOF-carpet membrane appears efficient for filtering large dogs #Chemsky #chemnobel #NobelPrize

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi “for the development of metal–organic frameworks.”

It's amazing to see my article on multivariate #MOFs among the few selected by @nature.com to celebrate our new #NobelPrize in Chemistry! 🌟

It brings back fond memories of the long process behind this complex, quite visionary work 😊

www.nature.com/collections/...
The article: 👉 rdcu.be/eKbPX

Oh, no!

Me and Jean-Marie Lehn had Robson's work tagged 25 years ago. It was always clearly very sweet. Pleased also with "this is not a fundamental limitation, as we shall see."

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 was awarded jointly to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi "for the development of metal–organic frameworks"

🎉 What an extraordinary day for the #MOF community!

Prof. S. Kitagawa, member of the MOST-H2 International Cooperation Board, has been awarded the 2025 #NobelPrize in #Chemistry for his pioneering work on #metalorganicframeworks.

👉 www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemi...

#MOFs #Pioneers