UBD - SINGAPORE COLLABORATION BEARS FRUIT
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A breakthrough in ‘molecular stitching’ is one of the first fruits to result from a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Singapore based A*STAR Institute for Materials Research and Engineering and UBD. The results from this study have recently appeared in the premier chemistry journal, Angewandte Chemie (meaning “Applied Chemistry”). ‘Molecular stitching’ is a term coined by the authors of this paper to describe the threading of thin, rod-like molecules through holes in crystalline, ‘molecular nets’ to give an intricate, interwoven 3D network of molecules. The resulting crystals behave like flexible sponges, absorbing relatively large quantities of the Green House gas carbon dioxide.

Molecular sponges are an intensively investigated area of research. The hydrogen cars of thefuture will use such porous materials to store hydrogen gas, rather than compressing it in to high-pressure tanks. These sponges could also be used for absorbing Green House gases generated by coal-fired power stations. The breakthrough reported by UBD and Singapore scientists involves a new, much simpler way of making these 21st century materials.

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