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Hydrogen bonded organic frameworks (HOF) are rare as they are fragile and challenging to crystallize. Good quality crystals allow more precise structure determination, hence structure analysis to understand their formation and properties to be able to prepare new HOF compounds that meet objectives. Can space unlock the next big discovery in crystallography?
Launched on April 21st with SpaceX CRS-32 and hosting a range of customers from all over the world, for research, education, and academia, Kirara#6 was installed in our ICE Cubes Facility shortly after arrival at the ISS the following day. Watch the installation video here.
One of the experiments accommodated by Kirara #6 comes from the Centre for Structural Science of HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, on a mission to study single crystal growth of organic compounds forming porous framework structures. This research could provide new insights into supramolecular chemistry and crystal engineering as we tailor the electrostatic and steric properties of framework constructing compounds.
Having a high quality crystal grown in microgravity is expected to result in high quality crystal structure, potentially contributing to a deeper understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and macroscopical properties, and to the ability of controlling the self-assembly of molecules. The revealed principles can be applied both in pharmaceutical research and in material science getting closer to the aim of preparing materials with predefined properties, framework materials being at the forefront of structural research. What if the key to solving solving high quality single crystal growth lies in microgravity?
We asked the team lead, Dr. Petra Bombicz (Head of Research Laboratory at HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences), to provide us with an overview of the experiment, its importance and possible implications of this research topic.
What problem does your experiment address?
- Our experiment opens a way of single crystal growth of organic compounds in microgravity, which is otherwise not common practice. Moreover, crystals of hydrogen bonded organic framework materials will be grown for structure determination, which is a new branch of chemistry. The non-ambient conditions may result in new polymorphic forms of the compounds.
Why is this research significant?
- Single crystal growths of proteins and inorganic materials in microgravity are established methods. Single crystal growth experiments of organic compounds in microgravity are beginning to be investigated nowadays. As well as the chemistry of hydrogen bonded organic framework materials, syntheses and investigation of their properties has started in the recent years.
How could the findings impact biotechnology, medicine, or industry?
- A deeper understanding of supramolecular interactions in work brings us closer to perform crystal and thus property engineering. Becoming more familiar with molecular recognition processes contributes to drug design, forecasting biological activity of drugs, or in case of industrial materials for example to increasing catalytic activity, to the development of molecular storage materials, to increased selectivity of sorption, etc.
How does microgravity enhance your experiment?
- We expect that single crystals grown in microgravity will have a larger internal order, be more unidimensional and larger in size than crystals grown on the ground, because diffusion becomes superior to convection in microgravity. Higher quality single crystals facilitate higher precision in structure determination.
What makes this study different from past research?
- No hydrogen bonded organic framework materials have been crystallized in microgravity before.
What are you hoping to discover?
- Directly, on the one hand we will have a method to grow single crystals of organic compounds in microgravity, on the other hand we will have more precious crystal structures of HOF compounds. It is required to be able to fine tune their structural properties. Indirectly, the gained knowledge of supramolecular chemistry contributes to the development of new materials with predefined properties.
The two associated compounds flying to the space station on Kirara#6 were synthetized by the Organocatalysis Research Group of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences. JAMSS provided guidance to the team during the evaluation of the method of single crystal growth and provided us the information about the working conditions on board of the ISS. The compounds will spend around 30 days in space, in the frame of the HUNOR program.
Additionally, HUN-REN’s scientific experiment includes a cultural contribution of a recording of the Hungarian national anthem and a musical interpretation of the crystallization process, composed and recorded by Luis Luque Álvarez, musician, violin teacher and researcher on musicology for space exploration. Beyond scientific research, Kirara is thus bridging the gap between space and society.
Make sure to explore the links below and related articles to learn more about the mission partners, the Kirara service and the research avenues it can support.