The global demand for rare-earth elements (REEs) continues to grow as these metals are increasingly applied in fields such as electronics, catalysis, luminescence, and magnetism. However, the separation and purification of REEs from mixed ores is a challenging, energy-intensive process that can be costly and damaging to the environment. Selective adsorption of REEs by porous materials is a promising solution to these issues, but requires precise control over pore size, shape, and functionality. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) display unparalleled tunability of these properties, representing an ideal platform for optimization of porous adsorbents for REE separations. In this work, a series of water-stable Zr(IV) MOFs were systematically functionalized with amino, carboxylic acid, phosphonic acid, and sulfonic acid groups to enhance their interactions with REE ions. These materials were realized through both <i>de novo</i> syntheses and post-synthetic modifications, and were generated in both single-component and multivariate forms. Their properties were rigorously characterized using a suite of techniques including powder X-ray diffraction, gas sorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and various spectroscopic methods. The performance of these MOFs for the adsorptive separation of REEs was evaluated and quantified by ICP-MS, giving insight into their interactions with REE ions and enabling further optimization.

Functionalized metal-organic frameworks for capture and separation of rare-earth elements

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