The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) has awarded a $199,921 project grant to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to develop nanosized liquid-liquid interfaces in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The overarching goal is to enable select chemical reactions to occur at the interface between the nanoconfined immiscible liquids, which can address the challenge of limited interfacial contact area in heterogeneous systems. The research aims to (1) examine polar and nonpolar molecular adsorption/desorption dynamics and demonstrate the formation of liquid-liquid interfaces in hierarchically nanoporous MOFs, and (2) develop reaction systems for manipulating these nanoconfined interfaces by investigating model chemical reactions, such as interfacial synthesis of nanomembranes and catalytic phenol alkylation. The project will leverage combined experimental and computational techniques to obtain structure-function relationships. The results will be integrated into a new interdisciplinary course for undergraduate seniors and graduate students in science and engineering disciplines at RIT.
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