Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have garnered exponential research interest due to their synthetic and chemical modularity, enabling countless applications from drug delivery to energy storage. However, there have been limited efforts to integrate this class of materials into the undergraduate laboratory curriculum. Therefore, we designed an integrated laboratory experiment in our upper-division integrated laboratory sequence to teach students about research procedures and tools used in physical, organic, inorganic, and materials chemistry. This laboratory sequence involves removal of persistent organic and inorganic pollutants from water, which is one of the most challenging environmental issues we are facing as a society. In this work, upper-level undergraduates study four variables affecting the adsorption capacity of MOFs: pH of contaminated sample, charge of contaminant species, dosage amount of MOF, and presence of salts. To do so, students synthesized four water-stable MOFs and then probed the resulting properties via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and solution UV–vis spectroscopy. Students are able to execute the simple experimental setups and critically interpret, and compare, their results. Further, students are asked to question and understand structure–property relationships to arrive at a fuller understanding of the mechanisms of adsorption to decontaminate water samples. Importantly, this laboratory prepares students for cutting-edge inorganic and materials research topics.

Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of metal-organic frameworks for water decontamination: An integrated laboratory experience

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.