Researchers demonstrate room-temperature patterning of a fragile porous material

Tokyo University of Science researchers demonstrated a way to etch a copper-based metal-organic framework at room temperature with substantially less apparent structural damage. These porous materials can support sensing and chemical processing, but particle beams used to create patterns can damage their delicate structures. The team filled 50%-60% of the material's pore volume with ionic liquids before using a focused gallium ion beam. It produced etched lines 130-300 nm wide. Treated samples were harder and more thermally stable, while stiffness remained largely unchanged. The method was demonstrated on one copper-based framework; extension to other frameworks remains a possibility.