"MOFaxanes: The Innovative Interlocking Supramolecular Systems"

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new class of interlocking supramolecular systems by combining metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with rotaxanes, creating what they call MOFaxanes. By threading rotaxane polymer chains through the pores in a MOF made using copper, they were able to create new kinds of interlocking structures. The range of creatable MOFaxane structures types and sizes should be virtually unlimited due to the tunability of MOFs.