 This research paper examines the nucleation and growth of two-dimensional, 2D, metal-organic framework, MOF, films on highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite, HOPG, and copper substrates. The authors found that the nucleation density and growth rate of the MOF film could be controlled by varying the interaction between the substrate and the organic linker. On HOPG, the organic linker had stronger pi-pi interactions, resulting in fewer nucleation sites and slower growth rates. In contrast, on copper substrates, the organic linker had stronger pi-metal interactions, leading to more nucleation sites and faster growth rates. This research provides insight into how surface interactions affect the nucleation and growth of 2D MOF films, which may help guide future synthetic efforts towards the development of functional materials. This article was authored by Sun Hei-rae Shin, Jin Hui-tao, Nathan L. Canfield, and others. We are article.tv, links in the description below.