Single-Crystal Metal-Organic Framework Arrays

A novel, versatile pen-type lithography-based methodology was developed to control the growth of HKUST-1 crystals on surfaces by direct delivery of femtoliter droplets containing both inorganic and organic building block precursors. This approach shows that through the use of surfaces with low wettability it is possible to control the crystallization of a single submicrometer metal-organic framework crystal at a desired location on a surface.