Solvent‐Induced Control over Breathing Behavior in Flexible Metal–Organic Frameworks for Natural‐Gas Delivery

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 58; no. 24; pp. 8073 - 8077
• Main Authors: Kundu, Tanay, Wahiduzzaman, Mohammad, Shah, Bhuvan B., Maurin, Guillaume, Zhao, Dan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 11.06.2019; Wiley-VCH Verlag
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Breathing; Chemical Sciences; Dimethylformamide; flexibility; Metal-organic frameworks; metal–organic frameworks (MOFs); Methane; Natural gas; natural-gas storage; Particle size; phase transitions; Respiration; solvent effects; Solvents; Sorption; Stability; phase transitions; flexibility; solvent effects; natural-gas storage; metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201902738

Finding appropriate stimuli for controlling the breathing behavior of flexible metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is highly challenging. Herein, we report the solvent‐induced changes in the particle size and stability of different breathing phases of the MIL‐53 series, a group of flexible MOFs. A water/dimethylformamide (DMF) ratio is tuned to synthesize members of the MIL‐53 series which have different behaviors. The breathing is explored by high‐pressure methane sorption tests. Increasing DMF concentration decreases MOF particle size and increases the stability of the porous phases, boosting the 5.8–65 bar sorption difference of methane, which is required for natural‐gas delivery. Learning to breathe: Changing the water/DMF ratio in the synthesis of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) of the flexible MIL‐53 series gave different breathing properties, which were explored by high‐pressure methane sorption tests. Increasing DMF concentration decreases particle size and increases the stability of the porous phases, affording an increase in the 5.8–65 bar natural‐gas deliverable capacity of the MOFs.