On 3 November, Nature Materials published an article by researchers from Stellenbosch University and Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań. Among the authors from AMU are Prof. Agnieszka Janiak and Joanna Drwęska, MSc, from the AMU Faculty of Chemistry.
In the publication, the researchers demonstrated that changes in the dimensions of solids under the influence of environmental conditions, such as pressure or temperature, can be explained at the molecular level. Furthermore, such controlled conversion of external stimuli into mechanical energy can be used to build precision mechanical and electromechanical devices that operate even under extreme conditions.
In their latest research, the authors show that porous trianglimine crystals expand and contract in almost one direction only in response to the absorption or release of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Using advanced in situ observation techniques (conducted on site), the researchers gained insight into the processes occurring at the molecular level and linked them to macroscopic elongation of the crystal by up to 10% under gas pressure.
This discovery is a crucial step toward designing materials that react to external stimuli, which could be used in sensors, actuators, and modern optical systems in the future.
The publication can be found at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02393-6
Photo by AMU Faculty of Chemistry