A polydopamine layer as the nucleation center of MOF deposition on "inert" polymer surfaces to fabricate hierarchically structured porous films.

Effective deposition of MOFs on "inert" solid surfaces is very challenging. In this work, we found that polydopamine, which can be facilely and tightly formed on any types as well as any forms of solid surfaces, could be used as an effective nucleation center for MOF deposition. Based on this finding, various MOFs were successfully deposited onto nanofibrous polymer membranes, especially the commercially available "inert" ones, affording hierarchically structured porous films.