Driven by curiosity. Driving changeResearch
Our research lies at the interface between chemical engineering, materials science and biotechnology using molecular simulations, advanced experimental techniques and engineering to design new nanoporous materials.
In particular, we focus on the study of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), one of the most exciting development in recent porous materials science.MOFs present potential applications in many areas,including several promising uses in biomedical and industrial areas of gas separationand storage.
In MOFs, the self-assembly of metal ions or clusters, which act as coordination centres, linked together by a variety of polyatomic organic bridging ligands, results in tailored nanoporous host materials with a vast structural diversity. The most striking advantage of MOFs over more traditional porous materials, such as zeolites or activated carbons, is the possibility to tune the host / guest interaction by choosing the appropriate building blocks and topologies.
Research areas
MOF engineering
Successful shaping of MOFs, in particular, is probably the biggest hurdle to transfer them to industry.
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Gas absorption and storage
Adsorption-based separations using membranes and pressure-swing adsorption on a porous material represent a viable and cost-effective alternative to current amine-based absorption technologies
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Drug delivery
Macromolecules may be the most powerful cancer drugs, but no feasible way exists to deliver them to the tumour, so they require a drug delivery system.
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Computational simulations
We have developed the first curated database of MOFs, with +90,000 structures published so far
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Visualise our data
In our HTS and big data analysis, we have developed several visualisation tools to help experimental and computational researchers to find the best materials. These dynamic representations allow to change any included variable in a 5D environment and to select any specific structure, linking it to the Cambridge Structural Database to find the original publication where the structure and synthesis were reported.
Equipment
Explore our equipment list by clicking below.
Sponsors
Our research is made possible by the following partners:
- The Royal Society
- H2020 – ERC
- EPSRC
- Innovate UK
- MedImmune
- Shell
- BP
- BLF
- The Cambridge Trusts
- Churchill Scholarships
- Gates Trust
- The China Scholarship Council