https://phys.org/news/2019-01-pore-size-nature-complex-nanostructures.html

In new research that could help inform development of new materials, Cornell chemists have found that the empty space ("pores") present in two-dimensional molecular building blocks fundamentally changes the strength of these van der Waals forces, and can potentially alter the assembly of sophisticated nanostructures.

The findings represent an unexplored avenue toward governing the self-assembly of complex nanostructures from porous two-dimensional building blocks. "We hope that a more complete understanding of these forces will aid in the discovery and development of novel materials with diverse functionalities, targeted properties, and potentially novel applications," said Robert A. DiStasio Jr., assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences.