In this study, oxygen selectivity in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) at exceptionally high temperatures originally predicted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) modeling is now confirmed by synthesis, sorption metal center access, in particular Sc and Fe. Based on DFT M-O2 binding energies, we chose the large pored MIL-100 framework for metal center access, in particular Sc and Fe. Both resulted in preferential O2 and N2 gas uptake at temperatures ranging from 77 K to ambient temperatures (258 K, 298 K and 313 K).
The separation of oxygen from nitrogen using metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is of great interest for potential pressure-swing adsorption processes for the generation of purified O2 on industrial scales. This study uses ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations to examine for the first time the pure-gas and competitive gas adsorption of O2 and N2 in the M2(dobdc) (M = Cr, Mn, Fe) MOF series with coordinatively unsaturated metal centers. Effects of metal, temperature, and gas composition are explored. Lastly, this unique application of AIMD allows us to study in detail the adsorption/desorption processes and to visualize the process of multiple guests competitively binding to coordinatively unsaturated metal sites of a MOF.
We study nanoporous-carbon (NPC) grown via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) as an electrically conductive anode host material for Mg2+ intercalation. NPC has high surface area, and an open, accessible pore structure tunable via mass density that can improve diffusion. We fabricate 2032 coin cells using NPC coated stainless-steel disk anodes, metallic Mg cathodes, and a Grignardbased electrolyte. NPC mass density is controlled during growth, ranging from 0.06-1.3 g/cm3. The specific surface area of NPC increases linearly from 1,000 to 1,700 m2/g as mass density decreases from 1.3 to 0.26 g/cm3, however, the surface area falls off dramatically at lowermass densities, implying a lack of mechanical integrity in such nanostructures. These structural characterizations correlate directly with coin cell electrochemical measurements. In particular, cyclic voltammetry (CV) scans for NPC with density ∼0.5 g/cm3 and BET surface area ∼1500 m2/g infer the possibility of reversible Mg-ion intercalation. Higher density NPC yields capacitive behavior, most likely resulting from the smaller interplanar spacings between graphene sheet fragments and tighter domain boundaries; lower density NPC results in asymmetrical CV scans, consistent with the likely structural degradation resulting from mass transport through soft, low-density carbon materials.
Oxy-fuel combustion is a well-known approach to improve the heat transfer associated with stationary energy processes. Its overall penetration into industrial and power markets is constrained by the high cost of existing air separation technologies for generating oxygen. Cryogenic air separation is the most widely used technology for generating oxygen but is complex and expensive. Pressure swing adsorption is a competing technology that uses activated carbon, zeolites and polymer membranes for gas separations. However, it is expensive and limited to moderate purity O2 . MOFs are cutting edge materials for gas separations at ambient pressure and room temperature, potentially revolutionizing the PSA process and providing dramatic process efficiency improvements through oxy-fuel combustion. This LDRD combined (1) MOF synthesis, (2) gas sorption testing, (3) MD simulations and crystallography of gas siting in pores for structure-property relationship, (4) combustion testing and (5) technoeconomic analysis to aid in real-world implementation.
Computational screening of metal-organic framework (MOF) materials for selective oxygen adsorption from air is used to identify new sorbents for oxyfuel combustion process feedstock streams. A comprehensive study on the effect of MOF metal chemistry on gas binding energies in two common but structurally disparate MOFs has been undertaken. Dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT) methods were used to calculate the oxygen and nitrogen binding energies with each of 14 metals, respectively, substituted into two MOF series, M2(dobdc) and M3(btc)2. The accuracy of DFT methods was validated by comparing trends in binding energy with experimental gas sorption measurements. A periodic trend in oxygen binding energies was found, with greater oxygen binding energies for early transition-metal-substituted MOFs compared to late transition metal MOFs; this was independent of MOF structural type. The larger binding energies were associated with oxygen binding in a side-on configuration to the metal, with concomitant lengthening of the O-O bond. In contrast, nitrogen binding energies were similar across the transition metal series, regardless of both MOF structural type and metal identity. Taken together, these findings suggest that early transition metal MOFs are best suited to separating oxygen from nitrogen and that the MOF structural type is less important than the metal identity.
Here we describe the homogeneous substitution of Mn, Fe and Co at various levels into a prototypical metal-organic framework (MOF), namely Cu-BTC (HKUST-1), and the effect of that substitution on preferential gas sorption. Using a combination of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, postsynthetic metal substitutions, materials characterization, and gas sorption testing, we demonstrate that the identity of the metal ion has a quantifiable effect on their oxygen and nitrogen sorption properties at cryogenic temperatures. An excellent correlation is found between O2/N2 selectivities determined experimentally at 77 K and the difference in O2 and N2 binding energies calculated from DFT modeling data: Mn > Fe > Co > Cu. Room temperature gas sorption studies were also performed and correlated with metal substitution. The Fe-exchanged sample shows a significantly higher nitrogen isosteric heat of adsorption at temperatures close to ambient conditions (273 K - 298 K) as compared to all other metals studied, indicative of favorable interactions between N2 and coordinatively unsaturated Fe metal centers. Furthermore, differences in gas adsorption results at cryogenic and room temperatures are evident; they are explained by comparing experimental results with DFT binding energies (0 K) and room temperature Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations.
We study nanoporous-carbon (NPC) grown via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) as a sorbent coating on 96.5-MHz surface-acousticwave (SAW) devices to detect trihalomethanes (THMs), regulated byproducts from the chemical treatment of drinking water. Using both insertion-loss and isothermal-response measurements from known quantities of chloroform, the highest vapor pressure THM, we optimize the NPC mass-density at 1.05 ± 0.08 g/cm3 by controlling the background argon pressure during PLD. Precise THM quantities in a chlorobenzene solvent are directly injected into a separation column and detected as the phase-angle shift of the SAW device output compared to the drive signal. Using optimized NPC-coated SAWs, we study the chloroform response as a function of operating temperatures ranging from 10.50°C. Finally, we demonstrate individual responses from complex mixtures of all four THMs, with masses ranging from 10.2000 ng, after gas chromatography separation. Estimates for each THM detection limit using a simple peak-height response evaluation are 4.4 ng for chloroform and 1 ng for bromoform; using an integrated-peak area response analysis improves the detection limits to 0.73 ng for chloroform and 0.003 ng bromoform.
