(226bm) A General Route to Prepare Metal-Organic-Framework Aerogel

Zhang LIU¹, Hao Chen^2,3, Wei HAN², King Lun YEUNG^1,2,*

¹Division of Environment, ²Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, ³Nano Science and Technology Program,

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China    

 * Corresponding author: kekyeung@ust.hk

Division:  08 Materials Engineering and Sciences Division

Subdivision: 08A02 Polymer Networks and Gels

Format: Poster

Metal-organic-framework (MOF) is a type of crystal materials that can produce porous structure and a high surface area. These remarkable properties make MOF become ideal candidates for fuel-gas storage media and high-capacity adsorbents. However, the merit of their properties is closely related to their pore structures and characteristics. Development of strategies to introduce hierarchical pores into MOFs will be beneficial for increasing MOFs capacity and improving mass transfer and diffusion ability. The current study aims to seek a general route to prepare hierarchical porous MOF aerogel structures. Several common MOFs such as Al, Fe -MOF (MIL-53), Cr-MOF (MIL-101), Co-MOF (PCN-9), and Zr-MOF (UiO-66), were selected as target MOFs and successfully synthesized via an as-developed two-step route: A propylene-oxide assisted sol-gel approach was employed to form metal-based alcogels and secondly a new synthesis approach was used to convert the metal alcogels to corresponding MOF aerogels. The XRD and SEM technology evidence that this route creates MOF aerogel with inter-connective crystal MOF particles, which allows the micro-pores, meso-pores, and macro-pores to exist simultaneously in MOF structures. The hierarchical porous structures thus provide MOFs improved mass transfer and adsorption capacity. This synthetic route will also find application in preparation of other MOFs aerogels.