Multicolor Patterning Inside a Metal-Organic Framework

Three-dimensional (3D) patterning of fluorescent structures in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is useful for fabricating MOF-based devices for sensing and data storage. This work creates 3D multicolor patterns in an MOF crystal by sequentially printing different substructures with different dye molecules incorporated. Printed multicolor 3D arrays inside MOF crystal are used for 3D optical data storage. Each color dot can represent four-digit information 0, 1, 2, 3 as compared to the 0,1 by a bit, using three colors plus the blank to convey the information. Through the combination of different initiator molecules of different emission colors, the data storage density is expected to increase further.