Alex explains in a very accessible way what we hope to do with MOFs. This short production is part of the science outreach initiative by Scriptie vzw.

Our paper entitled, *"Solid-phase microextraction coatings based on the metal-organic framework ZIF-8: Ensuring stable and reusable fibers"* led by our collaborators from Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) in Tenerife is now published in Talanta. Supervised by Prof. Veronica Pino, a part of this work is carried out in the Ameloot Group's lab in the context of Priss' short stay in Leuven. In this project, highly stable ZIF-8 coatings for SPME fibers prepared by chemical vapor deposition of MOF (MOF-CVD). The preparation mode ensured SPME fibers with high inter-batch reproducibility while used in DI-SPME-GC-FID. These MOF fibers performed successfully for target hydrocarbons and personal care products and its performance was compared to that of commercial SPME coatings.

We further prove the robustness of the MOF-CVD process by demonstrating this time for MAF-6, a large pore MOF. The CVD process is based on the reaction of ZnO with 2-ethylimidazole vapor at temperatures ≤ 100 °C. A combination of PALS and Kr physisorption measurements confirmed the porosity of these MOF-CVD films and the size of the MAF-6 supercages (diam. ~2 nm), in close agreement with powder data and calculations.

Aleksander received his PhD at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Slovenia with his thesis entitled, "Inkjet printing and structure-property relations of ferroelectric thin-film structures". In the Ameloot Group, he will be researching the fundamental electrical and dielectric properties of MOFs and their implementation in advanced electronic applications as ultra-low-k dielectrics and in gas sensing devices.

Timothée successfully defends his PhD entitled, "Metal-organic framework powders and thin films by vapour-phase processing" on December 13, 2019. Well done, Tim!

In collaboration with Prof. Coclite's lab at TU Graz, we report the solvent-free powder synthesis and thin film CVD of a crystalline coordination polymer obtained from the reaction of ZnO with a vaporized bipyridyl-triazole linker.

Following the proof-of-concept work on the chemical vapor deposition of metal-organic frameworks (MOF-CVD) and a demonstration of its potential in microelectronics integration, we now present the fully cleanroom-compatible process for the deposition of large-area MOFs. Led by Alex, the output of this international collaboration was recently published in Chemistry of Materials. In this work, we thoroughly discussed the optimization process and unraveled the mechanism of vapor-phase deposition. The info in this paper will help to bring MOFs a step closer to the industrial-scale microfabrication lines and the production of MOF-based devices.

This fall, we welcome new group members working on various projects on MOF thin films and 3D printing. (L-R) Bart, our new lab manager, will ensure the smooth and safe operations in our facilities in both Leuven Chem&Tech and the NanoCentre, while Fei joins the 3D printing workforce. We would also want to congratulate Lore and Giel for their FWO Ph.D. fellowships, and Victor for his grant as a postdoctoral researcher in the framework of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Seal of Excellence.

Although generally stable, ZIFs can undergo post‐synthetic linker exchange (PSLE) in solution under mild conditions. In this work, Joao led an international team of researchers and reported this novel, solvent‐free approach to post‐synthetic linker exchange through exposure to linker vapor. The paper can be accessed here or on the Publications page of our website.

This year, seven brilliant and dynamic M. Sc. students from the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering join the group for their master thesis projects. (top, L-R) Jochen, Emilie, Laura, Jonas, (bottom, L-R), Jorid, Margot, and Dieter will be working on different projects on new deposition technologies for metal-organic framework thin films and their applications in gas sensing and membrane technologies, as well as 3D-printed platforms for catalysis and point-of-care diagnostics. We are so enthused to welcome our biggest batch of students (so far!) and we are looking forward to having fun in the lab (and in the cleanroom) with these kiddos!