Plate Nº 38 · recorded October 9, 2026
Chemistry & MaterialsReported finding
Scientists Build First 16-Metal Material With Tunable Properties
A 16-metal metal-organic framework — a record — lets researchers tune magnetism, porosity and CO₂ uptake just by changing the proportions of metals in its 'recipe.'
By Priya Raman3 min read592 words
In brief
- Researchers incorporated 16 different metals into one MOF crystal structure — the highest number yet achieved.
- CO₂ uptake ranged from 5.72 mmol/g (all-dysprosium) to 1.23 mmol/g (all-lanthanum) under tested conditions.
- The study was published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition in 2026 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.5287849).
- UoB-116 is the first reported MOF combining d-, p- and f-block metals in the same framework.
- The team first characterized 15 single-metal versions before combining 2, 4, 12, 15 and finally 16 metals.
Chemists have built a single crystal that holds 16 different metals at once — the highest number ever achieved in a metal-organic framework — and shown that simply changing the proportions of those metals tunes the material's magnetism, light absorption, porosity and CO₂ capture.
The team, led by the University of Birmingham with researchers from Nottingham and Limerick, published the work in Angewandte Chemie International Edition in 2026 (DOI: 10.1002/anie.5287849).
What did the researchers actually make?
Metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, are materials in which metal atoms are linked by organic molecules into highly ordered structures riddled with microscopic pores. That internal sponge-like space is what lets MOFs interact with target molecules, and it is why researchers are studying them for gas storage, chemical separation, sensing, catalysis, bioimaging and magnetic applications.
The researchers first created and structurally characterized 15 individual versions of a framework called UoB-116, each containing a different rare-earth metal. They then progressively combined two, four, 12 and 15 metals within the same underlying structure.
Finally, they added indium. The result: a MOF containing 16 different metals simultaneously — yttrium, indium and 14 lanthanides. UoB-116 is the first reported MOF to combine metals from three different regions of the periodic table (the d-, p- and f-blocks) in one framework.
How does changing the 'recipe' change the material?
To test tunability, the team varied the balance of just two of the 16 metals: dysprosium and lanthanum. Shifting that ratio changed several measurable properties:
- Magnetism: Increasing dysprosium content increased the material's magnetic response.
- Light absorption: Characteristic near-infrared absorption linked to dysprosium could be adjusted by changing its concentration.
- Porosity: Adding more lanthanum progressively reduced the measured surface area.
- CO₂ capture: Under the conditions tested, CO₂ uptake fell from 5.72 millimoles per gram for the all-dysprosium material to 1.23 mmol/g for the all-lanthanum version.
That last number matters. It shows that gas-storage behavior can be altered simply by adjusting the metal mix, without redesigning the whole material.
What does this mean for future materials?
Corresponding author Neil Champness, a professor at the University of Birmingham, said the findings confirm "a route toward 'programmable' porous materials, where scientists could choose a combination of metals to dial magnetic, optical, chemical or gas-adsorption behavior."
He also pointed to a practical advantage: the team can predict how strongly particular metals will be incorporated. "Rather than having to invent a completely new material every time they want different properties, researchers can potentially change the metallic 'recipe' within the same underlying structure," Champness said.
Where are MOFs already used?
MOFs already act as custom molecular sponges across several industries:
- Clean energy: compact hydrogen storage for vehicles and selective carbon capture
- Environmental safety: harvesting drinkable water from arid air and safely storing toxic semiconductor gases
- Industrial efficiency: energy-saving chemical separations that can replace cryogenic distillation
- Biomedicine: high-capacity targeted drug delivery and imaging contrast agents
How solid are the findings?
The CO₂ uptake figures come from tests under specific laboratory conditions, so real-world capture performance in industrial settings may differ. The results were demonstrated for one framework family (UoB-116) and one metal pairing (dysprosium and lanthanum); whether the same fine-grained control extends to every combination of the 16 metals remains to be established.
Even with those caveats, the work marks a clear step toward MOFs whose properties researchers can select in advance — by writing the recipe before the crystal is grown, rather than searching for a new material each time.
via Phys.org Chemistry (Source)
More from Priya Raman
Show full bio
Senior reporter covering industry trends and analytics at SciBeat.
77 articles
Nearby plates
- Light Reads Electron Spins in Porous Crystals for First Time
- Porous Crystals Could Triple How Long Liquid Hydrogen Lasts in Tanks
- Light-Activated Crystals Destroy DNA in Water, Could Curb Resistance
- Cobalt Thin Film Offers Cheaper Route to Quantum Materials
- Chemists Isolate First Uranium Compound with a Rare Carbon Triple Bond