The Utilization of Amide Groups To Expand and Functionalize Metal-Organic Frameworks Simultaneously

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials with potential for gas storage and separation.
• Developing MOFs with high porosity and selective gas adsorption is crucial for carbon capture technologies.
• Existing synthesis strategies for MOFs can be complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, cost-effective stepwise ligand-elongation strategy for synthesizing high-porous MOFs.
• To investigate the CO2 adsorption properties of the newly synthesized MOFs.
• To evaluate the potential of these MOFs for CO2 capture and sequestration.

Main Methods:

• A stepwise ligand-elongation strategy using amide spacers was employed to synthesize two new MOFs: NJU-Bai22 and NJU-Bai23.
• The synthesized MOFs were characterized for their porosity and structural properties.
• CO2 adsorption experiments were conducted to determine adsorption enthalpy, selectivity, and capacity under high pressure.

Main Results:

• Two quasi-mesoporous and mesoporous MOFs, NJU-Bai22 and NJU-Bai23, were successfully synthesized using the new strategy.
• These MOFs exhibited comparable CO2 adsorption enthalpy and selectivity to a benchmark MOF (NJU-Bai21/PCN-124).
• The new MOFs demonstrated enhanced CO2 storage capacity under high pressure and showed potential for high thermal stability and water tolerance.

Conclusions:

• The stepwise ligand-elongation strategy is an effective and economical method for producing high-porous MOFs with excellent CO2 capture capabilities.
• The synthesized MOFs show promise as advanced materials for CO2 capture and sequestration due to their high CO2 affinity, selectivity, and storage capacity.
• This strategy offers new avenues for designing functionalized mesoporous MOFs with superior performance.