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Automation can transform productivity in research activities that use liquid handling, such as organic synthesis, but it has made less impact in materials laboratories, which require sample preparation steps and a range of solid-state characterization techniques. For example, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) is a key method in materials and pharmaceutical chemistry, but its end-to-end automation is challenging because it involves solid powder handling and sample processing. Here we present a fully autonomous solid-state workflow for PXRD experiments that can match or even surpass manual data quality, encompassing crystal growth, sample preparation, and automated data capture. The workflow involves 12 steps performed by a team of three multipurpose robots, illustrating the power of flexible, modular automation to integrate complex, multitask laboratories., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Characterization of nanoscale changes in the atomic structure of amorphous materials is a profound challenge. Established X-ray and neutron total scattering methods typically provide sufficient signal quality only over macroscopic volumes. Pair distribution function analysis using electron scattering (ePDF) in the scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) has emerged as a method of probing nanovolumes of these materials, but inorganic glasses as well as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and many other materials containing organic components are characteristically prone to irreversible changes after limited electron beam exposures. This beam sensitivity requires 'low-dose' data acquisition to probe inorganic glasses, amorphous and glassy MOFs, and MOF composites. Here, we use STEM-ePDF applied at low electron fluences (10 e - Å -2 ) combined with unsupervised machine learning methods to map changes in the short-range order with ca. 5 nm spatial resolution in a composite material consisting of a zeolitic imidazolate framework glass a g ZIF-62 and a 0.67([Na 2 O] 0.9 [P 2 O 5 ])-0.33([AlO 3/2 ][AlF 3 ] 1.5 ) inorganic glass. STEM-ePDF enables separation of MOF and inorganic glass domains from atomic structure differences alone, showing abrupt changes in atomic structure at interfaces with interatomic correlation distances seen in X-ray PDF preserved at the nanoscale. These findings underline that the average bulk amorphous structure is retained at the nanoscale in the growing family of MOF glasses and composites, a previously untested assumption in PDF analyses crucial for future non-crystalline nanostructure engineering.

The thermal behaviour of ZIF-8, Zn(meIm)2 in the presence of a sodium fluoroaluminophosphate glass melt was probed through differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The structural integrity of ZIF-8 was then determined by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses have emerged as a new class of melt-quenched glasses; however, so far, all MOF glass production has remained at lab-scale; future applications will require large-scale, commercial production of parent crystalline MOFs. Yet, control of synthetic parameters, such as uniform temperature and mixing, can be challenging, particularly, when scaling-up production of a mixed-linker MOF or a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF). Here, we examine the effect of heterogeneous linker distribution on the thermal properties and melting behavior of ZIF-62. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies revealed little discernable structural difference between samples of ZIF-62 synthesized in our lab and by a commercial supplier. Differential scanning calorimetry and variable temperature/isothermal XRD revealed the samples to have significantly different thermal behavior. Formation of ZIF-zni was identified, which contributed to a dramatic rise in the melting point by around 100 K and also led to the alteration of the macroscopic properties of the final glass. Parameters that might lead to the formation of unexpected phases such as an uneven distribution of linkers were identified, and characterization methods for the detection of unwanted phases are provided. Finally, the need for adequate consideration of linker distribution is stressed when characterizing mixed-linker ZIFs.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses have become a subject of interest as a distinct category of melt quenched glass, and have potential applications in areas such as ion transport and sensing. In this paper we show how MOF glasses can be combined with inorganic glasses in order to fabricate a new family of materials composed of both MOF and inorganic glass domains. We use an array of experimental techniques to propose the bonding between inorganic and MOF domains, and show that the composites produced are more mechanically pliant than the inorganic glass itself.

Porous materials are widely used in industry for applications that include chemical separations and gas scrubbing. These materials are typically porous solids, although the liquid state can be easier to manipulate in industrial settings. The idea of combining the size and shape selectivity of porous domains with the fluidity of liquids is a promising one and porous liquids composed of functionalized organic cages have recently attracted attention. Here we describe an ionic-liquid, porous, tetrahedral coordination cage. Complementing the gas binding observed in other porous liquids, this material also encapsulates non-gaseous guests-shape and size selectivity was observed for a series of isomeric alcohols. Three gaseous chlorofluorocarbon guests, trichlorofluoromethane, dichlorodifluoromethane and chlorotrifluoromethane, were also shown to be taken up by the liquid coordination cage with an affinity that increased with their size. We hope that these findings will lead to the synthesis of other porous liquids whose guest-uptake properties may be tailored to fulfil specific functions.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are often, and incorrectly, believed to be purely crystalline solids. This Feature Article highlights a selection of highly disordered MOF-based materials. This disorder gives rise to numerous possibilities in the fabrication of new MOF materials, and presents an alternative method of novel materials discovery, outside of the synthesis of increasingly complex crystalline structures. The formation of liquid MOFs and resultant melt-quenched glasses is reviewed, along with several categories of novel MOF-based materials including blends, flux melted glasses and crystal-glass composites.

The majority of research into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) focuses on their crystalline nature. Recent research has revealed solid-liquid transitions within the family, which we use here to create a class of functional, stable and porous composite materials. Described herein is the design, synthesis, and characterisation of MOF crystal-glass composites, formed by dispersing crystalline MOFs within a MOF-glass matrix. The coordinative bonding and chemical structure of a MIL-53 crystalline phase are preserved within the ZIF-62 glass matrix. Whilst separated phases, the interfacial interactions between the closely contacted microdomains improve the mechanical properties of the composite glass. More significantly, the high temperature open pore phase of MIL-53, which spontaneously transforms to a narrow pore upon cooling in the presence of water, is stabilised at room temperature in the crystal-glass composite. This leads to a significant improvement of CO 2 adsorption capacity.

A pronounced enthalpy release occurs around 1.38Tg in the prototypical metal-organic framework glass formed from ZIF-4 [Zn(C3H3N2)2], but there is no sign for any crystallization (i.e., long-range ordering) taking place. The enthalpy release peak is attributed to pore collapse and structural densification.

Recent demonstrations of melting in the metal-organic framework (MOF) family have created interest in the interfacial domain between inorganic glasses and amorphous organic polymers. The chemical and physical behaviour of porous hybrid liquids and glasses is of particular interest, though opportunities are limited by the inaccessible melting temperatures of many MOFs. Here, we show that the processing technique of flux melting, 'borrowed' from the inorganic domain, may be applied in order to melt ZIF-8, a material which does not possess an accessible liquid state in the pure form. Effectively, we employ the high-temperature liquid state of one MOF as a solvent for a secondary, non-melting MOF component. Differential scanning calorimetry, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, electron microscopy and X-ray total scattering techniques are used to show the flux melting of the crystalline component within the liquid. Gas adsorption and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy measurements show that this results in enhanced, accessible porosity to a range of guest molecules in the resultant flux melted MOF glass.

Melt quenched metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses define a new category of glass, distinct from metallic, organic, and inorganic glasses, owing to the dominant role of metal-ligand coordination bonding. The mechanical properties of glasses in general are important given their application in protective coatings and display technologies, though little is known about MOF glasses in this respect. The experimental elucidation of key properties such as their scratch resistance has been limited by the lack of processing methodologies capable of producing bulk glass samples. Here, nanoindentation was used to investigate the Young's modulus and hardness of four melt-quenched glasses formed from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF): a g ZIF-4, a g ZIF-62, a g ZIF-76, and a g ZIF-76-mbIm. The creep resistance of the melt-quenched glasses was studied via strain-rate jump (SRJ) tests and through constant load and hold (CLH) indentation creep experiments. Values for the strain-rate sensitivity were found to be close to those for other glassy polymers and Se-rich GeSe chalcogenide glasses. Vacuum hot-pressing of a g ZIF-62 resulted in an inhomogeneous bulk sample containing the glass and amorphous non-melt-quenched aZIF-62. Remelting and annealing, however, resulted in the fabrication of a transparent, bubble-free bulk specimen, which allowed the first scratch testing experiments to be performed on an MOF glass.

Microstructured metal-organic framework (MOF) glasses have been produced by combining two amorphous MOFs. However, the electronic structure of these materials has not been interrogated at the length scales of the chemical domains formed in these glasses. Here, we report a subwavelength spatially resolved physicochemical analysis of the electronic states at visible and UV energies in a blend of two zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), ZIF-4-Co and ZIF-62-Zn. By combining spectroscopy at visible and UV energies as well as at core ionization energies in electron energy loss spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope with density functional theory calculations, we show that domains less than 200 nm in size retain the electronic structure of the precursor crystalline ZIF phases. Prototypical signatures of coordination chemistry including d- d transitions in ZIF-4-Co are assigned and mapped with nanoscale precision.

To date, only several microporous, and even fewer nanoporous, glasses have been produced, always via post synthesis acid treatment of phase separated dense materials, e.g. Vycor glass. In contrast, high internal surface areas are readily achieved in crystalline materials, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). It has recently been discovered that a new family of melt quenched glasses can be produced from MOFs, though they have thus far lacked the accessible and intrinsic porosity of their crystalline precursors. Here, we report the first glasses that are permanently and reversibly porous toward incoming gases, without post-synthetic treatment. We characterize the structure of these glasses using a range of experimental techniques, and demonstrate pores in the range of 4 - 8 Å. The discovery of MOF glasses with permanent accessible porosity reveals a new category of porous glass materials that are elevated beyond conventional inorganic and organic porous glasses by their diversity and tunability.

The original version of this Article contained an error in Figure 1b, where the blue '(ZIF-4-Zn) 0.5 (ZIF-62) 0.5 blend' data curve was omitted from the enthalpy response plot. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

In this work, we explore the thermodynamic evolution in a melt-quenched metal-organic framework glass, formed from ZIF-62 upon heating to the melting point (Tm), and subsequent enthalpy relaxation. The temperature dependence of the difference in Gibbs free energy between the liquid and crystal states of ZIF-62 in the temperature range from the glass transition temperature (Tg) to Tm is found to be weaker than those of other types of glasses, e.g., metallic glasses. Additionally, we find that the stretched exponent of the enthalpy relaxation function in the glass varies significantly (β = 0.44-0.76) upon changing the extent of sub-Tg annealing, compared to metallic and oxide glasses with similar Tgs, suggesting a high degree of structural heterogeneity. Pair distribution function results suggest no significant structural changes during the sub-Tg relaxation in ZIF-62 glass.

The liquid and glass states of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently become of interest due to the potential for liquid-phase separations and ion transport, alongside the fundamental nature of the latter as a new, fourth category of melt-quenched glass. Here we show that the MOF liquid state can be blended with another MOF component, resulting in a domain structured MOF glass with a single, tailorable glass transition. Intra-domain connectivity and short range order is confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and pair distribution function measurements. The interfacial binding between MOF domains in the glass state is evidenced by electron tomography, and the relationship between domain size and T g investigated. Nanoindentation experiments are also performed to place this new class of MOF materials into context with organic blends and inorganic alloys.

Background: Evidence points to the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on a person's health. Despite decades of attention to the issue, patients, particularly those in the intensive care unit (ICU), continue to suffer., Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine patients' perceptions of their sleep experience in the surgical trauma burn ICU and identify contributing factors., Methodology: Patients were administered the 6-question Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) consisting of a 0- to 100-mm scale, with a low score indicating poor sleep quality. They were also asked an additional open-ended question., Results: Sixty patients participated. Data revealed a low overall RCSQ score of 43.6 of 100. Of the 5 validated questions on the RCSQ, the question with the lowest mean (35.6) targeted depth of sleep. The question pertaining to falling asleep immediately scored the highest at 52.2. The open-ended question revealed that 37% reported "interruptions" as the reason for not sleeping. Pain was also cited as a factor by 30%, with 11.7% citing discomfort from the bed as an irritant. An additional 21.6% reported noise as the central reason, with "pumps/monitor" noise as the most frequent culprit at 62%., Discussion: The pilot study results demonstrate that most participants perceived their sleep as poor in quality. These results direct targeted interventions that can be incorporated to reduce sleep deprivation in ICUs.

Background: Regular exercise reduces the risk of a first-ever stroke and is associated with smaller infarcts. Although evidence has suggested that therapeutic exercise following stroke is beneficial, we do not yet know whether exercise reduces stroke severity and improves functional recovery. The mechanisms underlying any benefit remain unclear., Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies testing exercise in animal models of ischemic stroke where outcomes were measured as infarct volume, neurobehavioral score, neurogenesis, or a combination of these. We also sought evidence of publication bias., Methods: We searched 3 online databases for publications reporting the use of exercise in focal cerebral ischemia. We used DerSimonian and Laird normalized random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression to determine the impact of study quality and design on the efficacy of exercise. RESULTS. Overall, exercise reduced infarct volume by 25.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 19.0%-31.3%; 65 experiments and 986 animals) and improved neurobehavioral score by 38.2% (95% CI = 29.1%-47.3%; 42 experiments; n = 771). For both outcomes, larger effects were seen when exercise preceded ischemia rather than came after it. For neurobehavioral scores, we found evidence of publication bias. Reported study quality was moderate (median score 5/10). Both model-specific (e.g., type of ischemia) and exercise-specific characteristics influenced reported outcome. CONCLUSION. Exercise, either before or after ischemia, reduced infarct volume and improved neurobehavioral score. However, overall estimates of efficacy were higher in studies at risk of bias, and for neurobehavioral outcomes, there was evidence of a substantial publication bias., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Vascular calcification has severe clinical consequences in a number of diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis and end-stage renal disease. The in vitro calcification of primary mouse, human and bovine vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is commonly employed to examine the mechanisms of vascular calcification. However, to date, no published studies have utilised a murine cell line to investigate this process. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether the mouse VSMC line MOVAS-1 can calcify in vitro. We established that the calcification of MOVAS-1 cells can be induced in the presence of calcifying medium (containing β-glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid), as detected by Alizarin Red and von Kossa staining, and quantification of calcium deposition and alkaline phosphatase activity. We also showed that the time course of MOVAS-1 calcification is comparable to that of the primary murine aortic VSMCs, establishing the MOVAS-1 cells as a feasible and relevant model. Significant increases in the mRNA expression profile of key genes associated with vascular calcification (Ocn, Akp2 and PiT-1) were observed in MOVAS-1 cells cultured under calcifying conditions, with similar changes in expression in murine aortic VSMCs. Furthermore, a significant reduction in calcification was observed in MOVAS-1 cells following treatment with levamisole and etidronate, known inhibitors of calcification. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the MOVAS-1 line is a reliable, convenient and economical system in which to investigate vascular calcification in vitro, and will make a useful contribution to increasing our understanding of this pathological process.