Investigating the local structure of zinc-halide-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework glasses by X-ray total scattering

The ability to melt and form glasses from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enables their processing into bulk materials and complex shapes. However, strategies for systematically tuning the structure and properties of MOF glasses remain largely unexplored. In this proposal, we address this challenge by incorporating zinc halide salts into zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), a subclass of MOFs. These salts act as chemical modifiers, allowing precise control over the chemical composition, glass transition temperature (Tg), and Zn2+ ion conductivity of the resulting glasses. Using X-ray total scattering experiments and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, we aim to uncover key structural features of the modified glasses and their liquid phases, providing fundamental insights into their thermal behaviour and ionic transport properties.