ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Data Journal

In-situ monitoring of surfactant-assisted ZIF-8 synthesis and self-assembly using small angle neutron scattering

Abstract: Metal organic frameworks can be fabricated to have structure across multiple length scales, from angstroms, where the metal nodes and organic linkers self-assemble to form molecular building units, to microns, where the MOF nanoparticles self-assemble with respect to each other to form superstructures. MOF-based photonic crystals are an example of a hierarchical MOF superstructure, where constant change in their dielectric constant causes the formation of a photonic band gap, and as such results in a material with structural colour. Our work looks at fabricating ZIF-8 (a Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework) based photonic crystals, using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to stabilise the ZIF colloidal nanoparticles and encourage self-assembly. The self-assembly process has not been studied in-situ across different time- and length-scales, and understanding the mechanisms that drive the formation of these hierarchical structures could access new MOF-based photonic structures. The aim of this proposal is to investigate the role of the surfactant, CTAB, on the formation of ZIF colloidal nanoparticles and then its role during the self-assembly of groups of these colloidal nanoparticles in solution, using SANS contrast matching experiments. In-situ SANS contrast matching experiments will allow us to see the interaction between the surfactant and nanoparticles, which we expect to become more prominent as the process evolves.

Principal Investigator: Miss Sophie Ray
Experimenter: Mr Jacob Brownlee
Local Contact: Dr Lauren Matthews
Experimenter: Miss Elizabeth Evans
Experimenter: Dr Hamish Yeung
Experimenter: Dr Mrittika Roy

DOI: 10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610373

ISIS Experiment Number: RB2610373

Publisher: STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

Data format: RAW/Nexus
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Data Citation

The recommended format for citing this dataset in a research publication is as:
[author], [date], [title], [publisher], [doi]

For Example:
Miss Sophie Ray et al; (2026): In-situ monitoring of surfactant-assisted ZIF-8 synthesis and self-assembly using small angle neutron scattering, STFC ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, https://doi.org/10.5286/ISIS.E.RB2610373

Data is released under the CC-BY-4.0 license.