Modular Coordination Polymers for Tailored Optoelectronic and Gas Storage Applications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current coordination polymers lack the ability to be easily tailored for specific applications, such as optoelectronic devices, gas storage, and sensors, due to limitations in their physical and chemical properties.

Innovation Solution

A new design method for producing transition and lanthanide-based metal functional coordination polymers, incorporating transition/lanthanide metal atoms and neutral bridging electron-donor organic ligands or negatively-charged counterions, specifically using copper, silver, and gold metals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional coordination polymers are used, then structural stability is maintained, but the ability to be easily tailored for specific applications is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetailorability for specific applicationsVSAvoidcomplexity of creating tailored properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The coordination polymer is divided into discrete modular units consisting of metal centers (M1, M2) and organic ligands (X1Y1, X2Y2) that can be independently selected and combined. This segmentation allows researchers to mix and match different metal atoms and ligand types to create polymers with specific properties for different applications, rather than working with monolithic structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different metal centers (M1 and M2) and ligand types (X1Y1 and X2Y2) can be assigned different local properties within the same polymer structure. For example, one metal center may be optimized for optical properties while another handles structural stability, allowing the polymer to exhibit multiple specialized functions simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If coordination polymers are designed for specific applications, then application performance is improved, but the synthesis complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication-specific performanceVSAvoidease of synthesis

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal platform architecture where the same basic polymer structure can serve multiple applications by simply changing the metal center or ligand identity. The modular design allows the same synthesis approach to generate polymers optimized for optoelectronics, gas storage, sensing, or catalysis, reducing the need for application-specific synthesis procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent achieves application-specific performance by changing chemical parameters (metal atom identity, ligand substitution patterns, oxidation states) within the established modular framework, rather than changing the fundamental synthesis methodology. This allows tuning of properties like band gap, porosity, or catalytic activity through parameter adjustment rather than procedural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12291606B2Coordination polymers of coinage metals synthesis and uses thereof

Publication Date: 2025.05.06 TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY

AI summary

The embodiments described herein pertains to a new design method to produce copper, silver or gold based metal functional coordination polymers with excellent potential towards optoelectronic devices, gas storage and separation, optical sensors, and other applications.