We report a sustainable approach to integrate metal-organic frameworks (MOF) via vapor phase synthesis on a cost-effective and mechanically robust biopolymer fibrous banana paper (BP) substrate developed from lignocellulosic biomass of banana harvest. The applicability of various polymer substrates to conjugate MOF is mostly limited owing to inferior mechanical properties and the high costs of synthetic polymers. Our approach not only alleviates these issues but also minimizes several drawbacks of MOF/fiber composites, including agglomeration of MOF particles, time-intensive fiber making process, reduced MOF functionality after its incorporation and large consumption of organic solvents. Our MOF-BP composites demonstrate a high surface area of 552 m<sup>2</sup>/g and uniform surface growth of MOF. Mechanical strength of the substrate is well retained after the MOF growth, while hierarchical porosity of the BP facilitates gas diffusion properties of MOF. We have investigated the full accessibility of MOFs on the fibrous substrate via CO<sub>2</sub> adsorption, while preliminary studies indicate a promising sorption profile of plant volatile organic compounds. Additionally, enhanced antibacterial properties of the BP-MOF composites are verified via antibacterial assays. We believe that the sustainable nature of the lignocellulosic BP substrate and uniform growth of MOF on the hierarchical porous structure impart impressive attributes to these composites, which can be explored in diverse applications ranging from antibacterial matrices to sensors.

Robust fabrication of metal-organic frameworks on lignocellulosic biomass for advanced applications

ACS Spring 2022

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