On-Surface Synthesis of Single and Multilayer Covalent Organic Frameworks and Metal-Organic Frameworks

Abstract

Understanding the structural and dynamic factors that govern the formation of covalent and non-covalent organic 2D crystalline materials is key to controlling their quality, including defect density and lateral dimensions. Gaining such insight enables the rational tuning of their physicochemical properties. In this contribution, we showcase how scanning probe microscopy—particularly scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM)—can be leveraged to investigate the structure and evolution of substrate-supported metal–organic frameworks (sMOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (sCOFs) at the liquid–solid interface. We outline approaches for tracking and steering the growth of sMOFs and sCOFs across diverse scenarios: from achiral to chiral, from single layers to multilayer architectures, and from monocomponent to multicomponent systems. Beyond offering high-resolution visualization, scanning probe microscopy can also play an active role in directing on-surface growth processes, with very high spatial resolution.