Processable UiO-66 Metal–Organic Framework Fluid Gel and Electrical Conductivity of Its Nanofilm with Sub-100 nm Thickness

Zr-based UiO-66 metal–organic framework (MOF) is one of the most studied MOFs with a wide range of potential applications. While UiO-66 is typically synthesized as a microcrystalline solid, we employ a particle downsizing strategy to synthesize UiO-66 as fluid gel with unique rheological properties, which allows the solution-based processing as sub-100 nm films and enhances the electrical conductivity of its pristine structure. Film thicknesses ranging from 40 to 150 nm could be achieved by controlling the spin-coating parameters. The generality of the method is also demonstrated for other Zr-based MOFs including MOF-801 and MOF-808. The impact of particle size and film thickness at the nanoscale on electrical properties of UiO-66 is shown to realize new features that are distinct from those of the bulk powder phase. An electrical insulator UiO-66 shows a significant increase in the electrical conductivity (10–5 S cm–1 compared to 10–7 S cm–1 in the bulk powder phase) when the 10 nm particles are distributed on the substrate with a thickness less than 100 nm. The findings establish a new route for processing of MOF materials as thin films with fine-tuned thickness and offer a new perspective for transport properties of Zr-based MOFs without structural modification.