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2. Luminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Luminescent metal\u2013organic frameworks (LMOFs) represent a versatile platform for developing functional photonic materials with applications in sensing, imaging, and light\u2011emitting technologies. In our group, we focus on designing and synthesizing LMOFs that incorporate tetraphenylethene (TPE)\u2011based ligands, molecules known for their aggregation\u2011induced emission (AIE) behavior, which allows them to emit strongly when integrated into rigid MOF scaffolds. Embedding TPE units within ordered porous frameworks enhances their emission efficiency, enables precise control over chromophore orientation and spacing, and allows the photophysical response to be tuned through framework topology, defect engineering, and post\u2011synthetic modification. These materials offer high sensitivity to environmental stimuli, making them excellent candidates for chemical and biological sensing. Our research aims to understand and manipulate structure\u2013property relationships in TPE\u2011based LMOFs, ultimately enabling new approaches to light\u2011responsive materials and responsive sensing technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n
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3. Metal-Organic Frameworks for Adsorption and Separation<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs) provide an exceptionally tunable platform for adsorption and separation, where their high porosity, adjustable pore chemistry, and structural precision enable selective capture of targeted species. In our group, we focus on designing MOFs for the adsorption and separation of iodine<\/strong> and lanthanides<\/strong>, two classes of materials that pose significant challenges in environmental remediation and resource recovery. The inherent modularity of MOFs allows us to tailor pore environments, introduce functional groups that enhance binding affinity, and leverage defect engineering to create highly accessible and reactive adsorption sites. For iodine capture, we explore frameworks that promote strong host\u2013guest interactions through open metal sites, \u03c0\u2011donor linkers, and confinement effects that stabilize polyiodide species. For lanthanide separation, we utilize MOFs with precisely spaced coordination sites and tunable charge environments to achieve selective uptake based on ionic radius, coordination preferences, and ligand\u2011field effects. By integrating structural design, spectroscopy, and adsorption studies, our research seeks to advance MOF\u2011based solutions for complex separation challenges relevant to nuclear waste management, critical\u2011element recovery, and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs) offer an extraordinary level of structural precision and functional tunability that makes them promising materials for advanced applications in nuclear chemistry. In our group, we explore how MOFs can be leveraged in neutron\u2011initiated transmutation<\/strong>, isotope production<\/strong>, and radionuclide adsorption and separation<\/strong>, areas traditionally dominated by inorganic solids and high\u2011temperature systems. The modular nature of MOFs enables the incorporation of neutron\u2011active elements directly into their nodes or linkers, allowing us to investigate how framework composition, defect sites, and local coordination environments influence neutron capture processes and subsequent transmutation pathways. Their high surface areas and accessible porosity also provide unique opportunities for efficient radionuclide adsorption, where tailored functional groups, redox\u2011active sites, and precisely spaced chelating environments enhance selectivity and capacity. Additionally, the crystalline order of MOFs enables fundamental mechanistic studies of radionuclide binding and transport, supporting rational design of materials for isotope enrichment, medical isotope production, and nuclear waste remediation. Through this work, we aim to establish MOFs as a new class of functional materials for nuclear science and technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Metal oxides and layered inorganic materials offer robust, thermally stable platforms for creating highly dispersed catalytic sites, and our group explores this potential by using mixed metal oxides<\/strong> and zirconium phosphate<\/strong> as supports for single atoms<\/strong> and metal nanoparticles<\/strong>. These supports provide tunable surface acidity, redox character, and coordination environments that stabilize isolated metal centers and control nanoparticle nucleation and growth. By manipulating composition, defect concentrations, and surface functional groups, we design catalysts with precise active\u2011site architectures that enable efficient and selective transformations. Our catalytic studies focus on hydrogenation reactions<\/strong>, Suzuki cross\u2011coupling<\/strong>, and other smal<\/strong>l\u2011molecule conversions, where the combination of controlled dispersion and strong support\u2013metal interactions enhances activity, stability, and resistance to sintering. Through this work, we aim to bridge inorganic materials chemistry with molecular\u2011level catalysis, developing next\u2011generation heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable and industrially relevant chemical transformations.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n 1. Metal-Organic Frameworks in Catalysis<\/p>\n Metal\u2013organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a uniquely powerful platform for heterogeneous catalysis, combining exceptionally high surface areas and tunable porosity with atomic\u2011level control over their metal nodes and organic linkers. Their modular construction allows precise installation of open metal sites, functional groups, and redox\u2011active centers, creating uniform catalytic pockets that bridge the gap between molecular and solid-state catalysts. Defect engineering further expands this versatility: introducing missing-linker or missing-cluster defects generates unsaturated metal sites, enhanced porosity, and new reaction pathways that can dramatically improve catalytic activity and selectivity. MOFs also accommodate multiple active components, such as nanoparticles or photosensitizers, enabling … » More …<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2540,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-builder.php","meta":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2540"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1073,"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/1073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=13"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chem.wsu.edu\/zhang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpcdn.web.wsu.edu\/wp-chem\/uploads\/sites\/1414\/2026\/02\/Overall-792x475.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n4. Metal\u2013Organic Frameworks in Nuclear Science<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n5. Surface\u2011Engineered Oxides and Phosphates for Advanced Heterogeneous Catalysis<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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