(678b) Conformal Zr-Based Metal-Organic Framework Thin Films on Nanofibers for Ultra-Fast Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents

The use of nerve agent in recent chemical attacks in Syria has urged the development of new materials and equipment to protect first-responders, soldiers and the general public. With large porosity and abundant Lewis-acidic catalytic sites, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising candidates for adsorption and catalytic degradation of chemical warfare agents (CWAs). However, it is still challenging to integrate MOFs into functional textiles for protective gas filters, masks and suits. Here, we present a series of MOF-coated nylon nanofibers enabling fast detoxification of CWAs. We found that a 5-nm-thick TiO₂ layer deposited onto electrospun nylon nanofibers via atomic layer deposition (ALD) promotes the heterogeneous nucleation of Zr-based MOFs including UiO-66, UiO-66-NH₂ and UiO-67. SEM and cross-sectional TEM images reveal that conformal MOF coatings localized on the nanofiber surface form unique MOF-nanofiber kebab structures. These MOF-functionalized nanofibers were tested for catalytic hydrolysis of a CWA simulant Dimethyl 4-Nitrophenyl Phosphate (DMNP) and a nerve agent O-Pinacolyl Methylphosphonofluoridate (GD, or Soman). The half-lives of DMNP are as short as 7.3 min, while the half-lives of GD are all less than 4 min for the three types of Zr-based MOF thin films on nanofibers. The results demonstrate the excellent performance of our MOF-coated nanofibers for CWA destruction, and also provide new opportunities for the development of air filters, wearable sensors, and smart multifunctional textile materials.