While metal and covalent organic frameworks (MOFs and COFs, respectively) are renowned for their utility in gas storage and separation applications, endowing these traditional solid porous materials with the property of fluidity can make them more amenable to various energy efficient continuous flow processes. Herein, we discuss our efforts to develop state-of-the-art framework based H2 sorbents into high surface area porous liquids. Using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, we demonstrate how Ni-based colloidal MOFs and Cu(I)-loaded colloidal COFs can be coated with methacrylic polymer membranes that facilitate their suspension in various non-volatile liquid polymers. The coatings also size-exclude the liquid matrix from entering the pores. Furthermore, we illustrate how the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer coating can be utilized to influence gas sorption into and out of the framework particles. For example, pressure-composition-temperature (PCT) data below the Tg of the coating confirms that H2 adsorption into the MOF takes hours to equilibrate through a thin (10 nm) glassy coating yet equilibrates rapidly (several minutes) when the coating is in a rubbery state. We discuss here how different coating materials, thicknesses, Tg values, etc., will influence the uptake of H2 and other gasses into coated framework particles and framework based porous liquids.

Polymer-coated frameworks for porous liquids with tunable gas diffusion properties

ACS Spring 2022

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