Lunch @UCBerkeley with Omar Yaghi – A revolutionary new material: MOFs

Lunch @UCBerkeley with Omar Yaghi – A revolutionary new material: MOFs

Omar Yaghi looks at the physical world from the perspective of a tiny molecule, a viewpoint that has allowed him to create a vast new landscape of materials the likes of which have never been seen before. These materials, called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), link metal ions with organic “linkers” – much like children’s tinker toys – to create extremely porous structures that can capture and store a variety of liquids and solids, from carbon dioxide to hydrogen. He calls the new field “reticular chemistry.” MOFs are now being tested in natural gas fuel tanks, which can hold three times the amount of methane than an empty tank. Another MOF can pull water out of the air, even in dry climates, offering the potential for home water harvesters.

Yaghi will discuss these materials and their applications as well as their future use in encoding chemical information.

#newmaterials

Registration is required.