A new type of "protein": the birth of flexible crystalline porous materials

The research team relies on the material innovation factory of the University of Liverpool for research and development The material innovation plant project aims to develop various advanced materials with an investment of £ 81 million Eurekalert.org reported on January 9 that scientists at the University of Liverpool, UK, were inspired by proteins to synthesize a new reactive porous material for the first time This kind of flexible crystal porous material is mainly composed of metal ions and small peptide molecules, and its pore diameter is less than 1 nanometer The material can change its structure according to the environment and activate chemical processes like proteins Relevant research results have been published in the latest issue of nature Porous materials are mainly used as catalysts in fuel and chemical production and adsorbents in environmental remediation technology to remove harmful compounds Porous materials are mostly rigid and have fixed structures Unlike proteins in life systems, they can change their structures to participate in chemical reactions The new porous materials developed by the University of Liverpool are similar to proteins and can undergo structural transformation in a controlled way according to the changes of chemical environment Professor Matt rosseinsky, the project's host, said: "this porous material performs structural transformation at the atomic scale through a mechanism similar to that of protein This provides us with an opportunity to exploit biomimetics to develop and regulate molecules New porous materials will have a positive impact on many fields including catalysis Researchers can accomplish specific tasks by designing materials with dynamic transformation characteristics " Rosseinsky et al Combined experimental and computational techniques, revealed the structural characteristics and active principle of this new material At present, they are working on developing the next generation of functional flexible porous materials, whose properties can be controlled by structural changes.