Barr, M.K.S. / Nadiri, S. / Chen, D.-H. / Weidler, P.G. / Bochmann, S. / Baumgart, H. / Bachmann, J. / Redel, E. (2022)

Chem. Mater., 2022, 34, 22, 9836–9843, doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c01102

Abstract

For the first time, a procedure has been established for the growth of surface-anchored metal–organic framework (SURMOF) copper(II) benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (Cu-BDC) thin films of thickness control with single molecule accuracy. For this, we exploit the novel method solution atomic layer deposition (sALD). The sALD growth rate has been determined at 4.5 Å per cycle. The compact and dense SURMOF films grown at room temperature by sALD possess a vastly superior film thickness uniformity than those deposited by conventional solution-based techniques, such as dipping and spraying while featuring clear crystallinity from 100 nm thickness. The highly controlled layer-by-layer growth mechanism of sALD proves crucial to prevent unwanted side reactions such as Ostwald ripening or detrimental island growth, ensuring continuous Cu-BDC film coverage. This successful demonstration of sALD-grown compact continuous Cu-BDC SURMOF films is a paradigm change and provides a key advancement enabling a multitude of applications that require continuous and ultrathin coatings while maintaining tight film thickness specifications, which were previously unattainable with conventional solution-based growth methods.

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