Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

Changing which metals occupy a shared porous framework can change how that material responds to magnetic fields, absorbs light, and takes up gas. A University of Birmingham team reports this approach in UoB-116, a metal–organic framework (MOF) that retained the same underlying crystal structure across compositions containing as many as 16 metals.

What is the “metallic recipe” in UoB-116?

A MOF is an ordered structure in which metal atoms connect through organic molecules. The resulting framework contains tiny pores. In UoB-116, the “recipe” means the choice and proportion of metals incorporated into that structure—not a household mixture or a finished consumer material.

The team first prepared and structurally characterized 15 individual UoB-116 versions, each with a different rare-earth metal. It then made progressively more complex compositions, including versions with 2, 4, 12 and 15 metals. Adding indium produced a 16-metal framework containing yttrium, indium and 14 lanthanides. The University of Birmingham’s 7 October 2026 announcement describes this as the first reported MOF combining metals from the periodic table’s d-, p- and f-blocks, and says 16 was the highest number reported in a MOF at that time. These are claims made by the university announcement.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

How did changing the metals affect measured properties?

The reported comparisons use dysprosium and lanthanum to show that composition can shift several responses within the framework. The release describes trends as metal content changes, rather than a single composition being best for every purpose.

#1 Best Overall
17 Pieces Metal Model Tool Kit Compatible with Metal Earth 3D Puzzle Assembly
  • What you get: a set of 17 pieces metal model bending tools, including 1 piece long edge bending tool, tab twisting tool, clipper, needle nose plier, pen knife and blade, file flat, 5 pieces cylinder cone shape bend assist tools, 4 pieces metal tweezers, 2 pieces double-sided polished bars
  • Nice gift: there are various kinds of metal bend assist tools in different sizes to meet your needs of metal puzzle assembly, which can be useful gifts to your family and friends, especially to those DIY handcrafts lovers; You also can use them for a lot of other craft things
  • Versatile: these 3D metal puzzle assembly tools are designed to bend the edges of metal pieces and make cylindrical and conical shapes, suitable for cutting fragments from metal pieces without bending back and forth to remove each piece; Metal tweezers fit for application details, needle-nose pliers can fix parts and twisted lugs
  • Quality material: bend assist tool features stainless steel, reliable and wear resistance; The metal model kit has smooth surfaces, tiny yet durable, easy to use in the assembly of metal jigsaws; The clipper handle is made of PVC rubber; Metal tweezers set adopts stainless steel and pen is tightly clamped and has high hardness; Also equipped with safety protection cap to protect blade
  • Easy to store: these 3D metal puzzles tools are compact and portable, easy to carry in your toolbox, allowing you to carry them anywhere, whether you are traveling, going to school, working, hiking and so on
Composition change Reported response
More dysprosium Increased magnetic response; near-infrared absorption could be adjusted through dysprosium concentration.
More lanthanum Progressively reduced measured surface area.
All dysprosium versus all lanthanum CO₂ uptake was 5.72 mmol/g for the all-dysprosium material and 1.23 mmol/g for the all-lanthanum version under the conditions tested, according to the University of Birmingham announcement.

The CO₂ figures are specific to the tested conditions. The announcement does not provide the measurement temperature, pressure, uncertainty or detailed protocol, so the values should not be generalized to other conditions or treated as a universal comparison of MOFs.

What could this kind of tuning be useful for?

Being able to vary composition while retaining a shared framework could help researchers target particular material responses. Professor Neil Champness, the study’s corresponding author and Head of School at the University of Birmingham, said: “Our findings confirm a route towards ‘programmable’ porous materials, where scientists could choose a combination of metals to dial magnetic, optical, chemical, or gas-adsorption behaviour.”

Rank #2
Honoson 12 Pcs Metal Model Tool Kit for 3D Earth Puzzles
  • Practical metal model tools: you will get a set of 12 pieces metal model bending tools, including 1 long edge bending tool, 1 tab twisting tool, 5 cylinder cone shape bend assist tools, 1 piece clipper and 4 pieces metal tweezers, which are practical for you to bend and assemble the 3D metal puzzles
  • Quality material: the bend assist tools are made of quality stainless steel, can resist to most acids and corrosive agents; The metal model kits have a smooth surface, which are tiny yet durable, easy to use in the assembly of metal jigsaws; The clipper handle is made of PVC rubber; Metal tweezers set is made of durable stainless steel
  • Nice gift: there are 7 metal bend assist tools in different sizes to meet your needs of metal puzzle assembly, 1 clipper and 4 pieces metal tweezers help you build the models quickly, they are suitable for gifts to your family and friends, especially to those DIY model lovers
  • Multiple functions: these 3D metal puzzles assembly tools are designed to bend the edge of metal pieces, bend or twist the tabs of metal pieces, and make cylinder and cone shapes; Clipper is great for cutting pieces from the metal sheet, you don't need to remove each piece by bending back and forth; Metal tweezers are suitable for unapplied details
  • Easy to store: these metal model tools are compact and portable, making them easy to store in your toolbox; Their tiny sizes allow you to carry them anywhere on demand, no matter if you are travelling, schooling, working, hiking, etc.

MOFs broadly are being investigated for gas storage and separation, sensing, catalysis, bio-imaging and magnetic materials. The university announcement also identifies possible opportunities in hydrogen storage, carbon capture, water harvesting, chemical separations, and drug delivery or imaging. These are wider research directions and proposed uses; the announcement does not establish that UoB-116 is deployed or commercially ready for them.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What the results do—and do not—establish

The central result is a demonstration that varying metal composition in UoB-116 can alter measured properties while preserving the underlying crystal structure. It does not show that every desired property can already be predicted or independently controlled, nor that a particular composition will outperform others in every application.

Rank #3
Metal Earth B-17 Flying Fortress Color 3D Metal Model Kit Fascinations
  • HOBBY MODEL KIT – Unassembled model packed in an envelope with easy to follow instructions. Ideal for ages 14 and up.
  • NO GLUE OR SOLDER NEEDED – Parts can be easily clipped from the metal sheets. Tweezers are the recommended tool for bending and twisting the connection tabs.
  • B-17 FLYING FORTRESS - 2.5 Sheet Model with a challenging difficulty level. Assembled Size: 6.90 L x 5.30 W x 1.57 H inches. 1:130 Scale. 76 Pieces.
  • FROM STEEL SHEETS TO 3D – Pop out the pieces and connect using tabs and holes. Includes illustrated instructions.
  • HIGHLY DETAILED ETCHED MODEL – Display your 3D model once completed - collect and build them all.

The study is titled “Rare-Earth Multivariate Metal–Organic Frameworks: Cationic Radius Biased Compositional Control and Property Tuning” and was named in the university announcement as published in Angewandte Chemie. The announcement does not provide scale-up data or enough methodological detail to assess how the reported responses would translate to operating devices or industrial processes.

Best Value
Metal Earth P-47 Thunderbolt 3D Metal Model Kit Fascinations
  • HOBBY MODEL KIT – Unassembled model packed in an envelope with easy to follow instructions. Ideal for ages 14 and up.
  • NO GLUE OR SOLDER NEEDED – Parts can be easily clipped from the metal sheets. Tweezers are the recommended tool for bending and twisting the connection tabs.
  • P-47 THUNDERBOLT - 2 Sheet Model with a moderate difficulty level. Assembled Size: 5.30 L x 4.50 W x 1.90 H inches. 1:94 Scale.
  • FROM STEEL SHEETS TO 3D – Pop out the pieces and connect using tabs and holes. Includes illustrated instructions.
  • HIGHLY DETAILED ETCHED MODEL – Display your 3D model once completed - collect and build them all.
Rank #4
Metal Earth Premium Series Artemis Moon Rocket 3D Metal Model Kit Fascinations
  • HOBBY MODEL KIT – Unassembled model packed in an envelope with easy to follow instructions. Ideal for ages 14 and up.
  • NO GLUE OR SOLDER NEEDED – Parts can be easily clipped from the metal sheets. Tweezers are the recommended tool for bending and twisting the connection tabs.
  • PREMIUM SERIES ARTEMIS MOON ROCKET - 3.50 Sheet Model with a Challenging difficulty level. Once assembled, dimensions are 3.30 L x 2.88 W x 7.40 H inches. 115 Pieces. 1:522 Scale.
  • FROM STEEL SHEETS TO 3D – Pop out the pieces and connect using tabs and holes. Includes illustrated instructions
  • HIGHLY DETAILED ETCHED MODEL – Display your 3D model once completed - collect and build them all.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.