Zr-MOF/Hydrogel Composite Membrane for Solid-Phase Organophosphate Detoxification under Ambient Conditions

Zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) have shown great promise as effective catalysts for the hydrolytic degradation of organophosphorus nerve agents. However, their high catalytic activity was usually observed in aqueous environments or high humidity conditions, challenging their applicability as chemical protective materials. In this study, we developed hydrogel composite membranes integrating Zr-MOF catalysts with multifunctional polymeric components, enabling the efficient solid-phase degradation of the nerve agent simulant, dimethyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP), under ambient conditions (40% relative humidity). These membranes were prepared by embedding MOF-808 within a hybrid polymer matrix composed of poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVIM) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). In this rationally designed material, MOF-808 supplies the catalytic sites for hydrolysis, PVA contributes to water retention, and PVIM acts as a nonvolatile base to buffer the reaction environment. The resulting composite membranes demonstrate high catalytic activity and good recyclability for solid-phase DMNP hydrolysis under ambient conditions, surpassing the performance of many previously reported Zr-MOF-based materials under similar conditions. These findings represent a meaningful advancement toward the deployment of Zr-MOFs in practical chemical defense applications.