Greatly Intensified Guest Exchange Strategy for Highly‐Efficient Activation of Metal–Organic Frameworks

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 19; no. 52; pp. e2303848 - n/a
• Main Authors: Wei, Yan, Chang, Miao, Yun, Ling‐Xia, Qiao, Meng, Liu, Rong‐Kun, Liu, Dahuan, Wang, Jie‐Xin, Chen, Jian‐Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2023
• Subjects: activation; adsorption; guest exchange; industrial chemistry; Mass transfer; Metal-organic frameworks; Packed beds; Shearing; Solvents; adsorption; industrial chemistry; guest exchange; activation; metal-organic frameworks
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202303848

The preservation and accessibility of pores are prerequisites to the application of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Activation is a key step to eliciting rich features of pores, but it needs a repeated solvent‐exchange process which is tedious and time/cost‐consuming. Herein, a facile strategy for highly‐efficient activation of MOFs utilizing rotating packed bed is proposed. With the tremendous enhancement of molecular mixing and mass transfer in high‐gravity and strong‐shearing surrounding, nine representative MOFs are completely activated within 2 h without structural change. Compared with conventional process, this activation displays surprising efficiency by accelerating the diffusion of solvents and redissolution of residual reactants in the pores. The complete activation time can be significantly shortened by over 90%. As a proof‐of‐concept, the methane storage of as‐activated UiO‐66 is five times that of as‐synthesized UiO‐66. This strategy provides a potential platform with industrial worth for the activation of MOF materials with ultra‐high efficiency and versatility. A facile strategy for highly‐efficient activation of metal–organic frameworks is proposed by using rotating packed bed to achieve complete activation within 2 h. Under high‐gravity and strong‐shear environment, the activation can be significantly accelerated and its efficiency is much higher than that of traditional method. As a proof‐of‐concept, the methane storage of as‐activated UiO‐66 presents five times that of as‐synthesized UiO‐66.