Nanoporous materials span a fascinating array of different chemistries, ranging from classical inorganic zeolites to molecular organic and hybrid metal-organic framework (MOF) solids. Their microporous and mesoporous architectures find widespread practical use for applications such as environmental remediation, heterogeneous catalysis, medicine and energy generation. More than 70,000 MOFs, have now been reported in the crystalline state, with their robust and ordered frameworks allowing some materials to reach specific pore volumes in excess of 5.02 cm³ g^–1.

This lecture course will cover:

• Introduction to nanoporous framework materials (1 lecture): Inorganic zeolites, crystal engineering and coordination polymer/metal-organic framework structures, materials with permanent porosity.
• Synthesis (1 lecture): Methods, nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms, Ostwald step rule, polymorphism, Avrami and Gualtieri equations, activation processes.
• Fundamentals of gas adsorption and applications (2 lectures): Brunauer Emmett and Teller (BET) adsorption model, adsorption isotherms, isoreticular chemistry, interpenetration and applications in catalysis and ion exchange.
• Elastic moduli and unusual behaviour (1 lecture): Flexibility, positive and negative compressibility, Young’s moduli and structure-property relationship, amorphisation.
• Thermal stability, melting and glass formation (1 lecture): Decomposition criteria, Lindemann criterion for melting, glass formation kinetics and structure. Comparison to conventional glass formers.