Hydrogen storage in metal-organic frameworks by bridged hydrogen spillover

The possible utilization of hydrogen as the energy source for fuel-cell vehicles is limited by the lack of a viable hydrogen storage system. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) belong to a new class of microporous materials that have recently been shown to be potential candidates for hydrogen storage; however, no significant hydrogen storage capacity has been achieved in MOFs at ambient temperature. Here we report substantially increased hydrogen storage capacities of modified MOFs by using a simple technique that causes and facilitates hydrogen spillover. Thus, the storage of 4 wt % is achieved at room temperature and 100 atm for the modified IRMOF-8. The adsorption is reversible, and the rates are fast. That has made MOFs truly promising for hydrogen storage application.     

Hydrogen adsorption on microporous materials at ambient temperatures and pressures up to 50 MPa

High surface area microporous adsorbents are often proposed as potential hydrogen storage materials, although typically at 77?K and less than 5?MPa. In this study, we focus on conditions more suitable for automotive applications by investigating the storage capacities of microporous materials at 298?K and at pressures up to 50?MPa. In an effort to derive trends within and across material classes, we examined a wide range of materials with varying microstructures including the activated carbons AX-21, KUA-5, and MSC-30; a zeolite templated carbon; a hypercrosslinked polymer; and the Metal Organic Frameworks MOF-177, IRMOF-20, MIL-53, ZIF-8, and Cu₃(btc)₂. The peak excess adsorption of these materials ranged from 0.8–1.8?wt.%, although many did not reach their maximum capacity even at high pressures. However, the total volumetric storage gains over compressed hydrogen gas were quite low and, in many cases, negative. In addressing ambient temperature adsorption at significantly higher pressures than previously reported, our data confirms and extends the range of validity of several existing DFT calculations. Furthermore, our data suggest that, for both activated carbons and MOFs, factors other than specific surface area govern ambient temperature adsorption capacity. Contrary to some reports, the high fractions of sub-nanometer pores in some of the investigated MOFs did not appear to enhance the excess adsorption even at high pressures. For on-board applications with ambient temperature storage, significant enhancements to the attractive force at the materials’ surface are required, beyond merely increasing specific surface area, or for MOFs, tuning of pore sizes.     

Room temperature synthesis of metal-organic frameworks: MOF-5, MOF-74, MOF-177, MOF-199, and IRMOF-0

Room temperature synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been developed for four well-known MOFs: MOF-5, MOF-74, MOF-177, and MOF-199. A new isoreticular metal framework (IRMOF), IRMOF-0, having the same cubic topology as MOF-5, has been synthesized from acetylenedicarboxylic acid using this method to accommodate the thermal sensitivity of the linker. Despite acetylenedicarboxylate being the shortest straight linker that can be made into an IRMOF, IRMOF-0 forms as a doubly interpenetrating structure, owing to the rod-like nature of the linker.     

Precise Control of Molecular Self-Diffusion in Isoreticular and Multivariate Metal-Organic Frameworks

Understanding the factors that affect self-diffusion in isoreticular and multivariate (MTV) MOFs is key to their application in drug delivery, separations, and heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we measure the apparent self-diffusion of solvents saturated within the pores of large single crystals of MOF-5, IRMOF-3 (amino-functionalized MOF-5), and 17 MTV-MOF-5/IRMOF-3 materials at various mole fractions. We find that the apparent self-diffusion coefficient of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) may be tuned linearly between the diffusion coefficients of MOF-5 and IRMOF-3 as a function of the linker mole fraction. We compare a series of solvents at saturation in MOF-5 and IRMOF-3 to elucidate the mechanism by which the linker amino groups tune molecular diffusion. The ratio of the self-diffusion coefficients for solvents in MOF-5 to those in IRMOF-3 is similar across all solvents tested, regardless of solvent polarity. We conclude that average pore aperture, not solvent-linker chemical interactions, is the primary factor responsible for the different diffusion dynamics upon introduction of an amino group to the linker.     

Exceptional H2 saturation uptake in microporous metal-organic frameworks

Saturation H2 uptake in a series of microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been measured at 77 K. Saturation pressures vary between 25 and 80 bar across the series, with MOF-177 showing the highest uptake on a gravimetric basis (7.5 wt %) and IRMOF-20 showing the highest uptake on a volumetric basis at 34 g/L. These results demonstrate that maximum H2 storage capacity in MOFs correlates well to surface area, and that feasible volumetric uptakes can be realized even in highly porous materials.     

Gas adsorption and storage in metal-organic framework MOF-177

Gas adsorption experiments have been carried out on a zinc benzenetribenzoate metal-organic framework material, MOF-177. Hydrogen adsorption on MOF-177 at 298 K and 10 MPa gives an adsorption capacity of approximately 0.62 wt %, which is among the highest hydrogen storage capacities reported in porous materials at ambient temperatures. The heats of adsorption for H2 on MOF-177 were -11.3 to -5.8 kJ/mol. By adding a H2 dissociating catalyst and using our bridge building technique to build carbon bridges for hydrogen spillover, the hydrogen adsorption capacity in MOF-177 was enhanced by a factor of approximately 2.5, to 1.5 wt % at 298 K and 10 MPa, and the adsorption was reversible. N2 and O2 adsorption measurements showed that O2 was adsorbed more favorably than N2 on MOF-177 with a selectivity of approximately 1.8 at 1 atm and 298 K, which makes MOF-177 a promising candidate for air separation. The isotherm was linear for O2 while being concave for N2. Water vapor adsorption studies indicated that MOF-177 adsorbed up to approximately 10 wt % H2O at 298 K. The framework structure of MOF-177 was not stable upon H2O adsorption, which decomposed after exposure to ambient air in 3 days. All the results suggested that MOF-177 could be a potentially promising material for gas separation and storage applications at ambient temperature (under dry conditions or with predrying).     

Understanding hydrogen adsorption in metal-organic frameworks with open metal sites: a computational study

Recent experimental investigations show that the open metal sites may have a favorable impact on the hydrogen adsorption capacity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs); however, no definite evidence has been obtained to date and little is known on the interactions between hydrogen and the pore walls of this kind of MOFs. In this work, a combined grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation and density functional theory calculation is performed on the adsorption of hydrogen in MOF-505, a recently synthesized MOF with open metal sites, to provide insight into molecular-level details of the underlying mechanisms. This work shows that metal-oxygen clusters are preferential adsorption sites for hydrogen, and the strongest adsorption of hydrogen is found in the directions of coordinatively unsaturated open metal sites, providing evidence that the open metal sites have a favorable impact on the hydrogen sorption capacity of MOFs. The storage capacity of hydrogen of MOF-505 at room temperature and moderate pressures is predicted to be low, in agreement with the outcome for hydrogen physisorption in other porous materials.     

Functionality proportion and corresponding stability study of multivariate metal-organic frameworks

Zn-based multivariate metal-organic frameworks (MTV-MOFs) with different functionality proportions and with different thermal and chemical stabilities can be obtained by employing the appropriate synthesis method.     

Effects of functionalization, catenation, and variation of the metal oxide and organic linking units on the low-pressure hydrogen adsorption properties of metal-organic frameworks

The dihydrogen adsorption isotherms of eight metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), measured at 77 K up to a pressure of 1 atm, have been examined for correlations with their structural features. All materials display approximately Type I isotherms with no hysteresis, and saturation was not reached for any of the materials under these conditions. Among the six isoreticular MOFs (IRMOFs) studied, the catenated materials exhibit the largest capacities on a molar basis, up to 9.8 H(2) per formula unit. The addition of functional groups (-Br, -NH(2), -C(2)H(4)-) to the phenylene links of IRMOF-1 (MOF-5), or their replacement with thieno[3,2-b]thiophene moieties in IRMOF-20, altered the adsorption behavior by a minor amount despite large variations in the pore volumes of the resulting materials. In contrast, replacement of the metal oxide units with those containing coordinatively unsaturated metal sites resulted in greater H(2) uptake. The enhanced affinities of these materials, MOF-74 and HKUST-1, were further demonstrated by calculation of the isosteric heats of adsorption, which were larger across much of the range of coverage examined, compared to those of representative IRMOFs. The results suggest that under low-loading conditions, the H(2) adsorption behavior of MOFs can be improved by imparting larger charge gradients on the metal oxide units and adjusting the link metrics to constrict the pore dimensions; however, a large pore volume is still a prerequisite feature.     

Metal-organic frameworks with exceptionally high capacity for storage of carbon dioxide at room temperature

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) show high CO2 storage capacity at room temperature. Gravimetric CO2 isotherms for MOF-2, MOF-505, Cu3(BTC)2, MOF-74, IRMOFs-11, -3, -6, and -1, and MOF-177 are reported up to 42 bar. Type I isotherms are found in all cases except for MOFs based on Zn4O(O2C)6 clusters, which reveal a sigmoidal isotherm (having a step). The various pressures of the isotherm steps correlate with increasing pore size, which indicates potential for gas separations. The amine functionality of the IRMOF-3 pore shows evidence of relatively increased affinity for CO2. Capacities qualitatively scale with surface area and range from 3.2 mmol/g for MOF-2 to 33.5 mmol/g (320 cm3(STP)/cm3, 147 wt %) for MOF-177, the highest CO2 capacity of any porous material reported.     

Characterization of H2 binding sites in prototypical metal-organic frameworks by inelastic neutron scattering

The hindered rotor transitions of H(2) adsorbed in the chemically related and prototypical porous metal-organic frameworks IRMOF-1, IRMOF-8, IRMOF-11, and MOF-177 were studied by inelastic neutron scattering to gain information on the specifics of H(2) binding in this class of adsorbents. Remarkably sharp and complex spectra of these materials signify a diversity of well-defined binding sites. Similarities in the spectral features as a function of H(2) loading and correlations with recent crystallographic studies were used to assign transitions ranging in rotational barrier from <0.04 to 0.6 kcal/mol as corresponding to localized adsorption sites on the organic and inorganic components of these frameworks. We find that binding of H(2) at the inorganic cluster sites is affected by the nature of the organic link and is strongest in IRMOF-11 in accord with our adsorption isotherm data. The sites on the organic link have lower binding energies, but a much greater capacity for increases in H(2) loading, which demonstrates their importance for hydrogen uptake by these materials.     

The interaction of water with MOF-5 simulated by molecular dynamics

Force field parameters for use with metal-organic framework-5 (MOF-5 or IRMOF-1) are presented. Flexibility within the framework is included in this model, so that structural changes upon interaction with adsorbate molecules can be observed and quantified. The model was validated by comparing simulated lattice parameters of pure MOF-5 with X-ray diffraction results. For the first time, molecular dynamics simulations have been performed that show how water interacts with MOF-5. The framework is stable at water contents up to 2.3% by mass, but distortion in the lattice structure is already evident. At water contents of 3.9% and higher, the framework collapses because of the replacement of MOF O atoms by water O atoms in the Zn coordination shells. As a result, inorganic MOF O atoms are no longer coordinated by four Zn ions, and benzene dicarboxylate linkers are no longer tethered to Zn centers.     

Lithium-doped MOF impregnated with lithium-coated fullerenes: a hydrogen storage route for high gravimetric and volumetric uptakes at ambient temperatures

We theoretically demonstrated that by the impregnation of Li-decorated IRMOF-10 with Li-coated C(60), the hydrogen storage capacity is improved to be 6.3 wt% and 42 g L(-1) at 100 bar and 243 K. Both the gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen uptakes reach the 2015 DOE target at near ambient conditions.     

Design for hydrogen storage materials via observation of adsorption sites by computer tomography

An effective method denoted as "computer tomography for materials" (mCT) was employed to study the adsorption sites inside metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) at any positions and any view angles. For MOF-5, the first adsorption site alpha(-COO)3 was clearly observed from the mCT images; it locates at the position where three -COO groups joined like a cup. There are four alpha(-COO)3 sites around the Zn4O cluster. Two of them located at the diagonal of the Zn4O cluster are in the same plane "A", whereas the other two equivalent adsorption sites are in another plane "B", which is about 5.4 A away from the plane A. It was found that the electronegativity of oxygen atoms is very important to the adsorption of hydrogen molecules. The hydrogen amount adsorbed in MOFs might be enhanced by introducing some strong electronegative atoms to the organic linkers or frameworks. On the basis of this point of view, five new MOF materials were designed. The adsorbed amounts both in number of hydrogen molecules per unit cell and weight uptake for all of the designed MOFs were calculated. The adsorption amounts of designed MOFs were improved, and the amount for MOF-d5 at 1 bar is as high as 3.7 wt %. It is nearly 5-6 times of that of MOF-5 as a whole. It can be observed that extra adsorption sites were formed in the pores and the effective occupation rate of pore space was obviously improved viewing from the mCT images. These results may give helpful suggestions for the synthetic experimentalists.     

Self-diffusion and transport diffusion of light gases in metal-organic framework materials assessed using molecular dynamics simulations

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials pose an interesting alternative to more traditional nanoporous materials for a variety of separation processes. Separation processes involving nanoporous materials can be controlled by either adsorption equilibrium, diffusive transport rates, or a combination of these factors. Adsorption equilibrium has been studied for a variety of gases in MOFs, but almost nothing is currently known about molecular diffusion rates in MOFs. We have used equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) to probe the self-diffusion and transport diffusion of a number of small gas species in several MOFs as a function of pore loading at room temperature. Specifically, we have studied Ar, CH4, CO2, N2, and H2 diffusion in MOF-5. The diffusion of Ar in MOF-2, MOF-3, and Cu-BTC has been assessed in a similar manner. Our results greatly expand the range of MOFs for which data describing molecular diffusion is available. We discuss the prospects for exploiting molecular transport properties in MOFs in practical separation processes and the future role of MD simulations in screening families of MOFs for these processes.     

Interaction of Hydrogen with MOF-5

Hydrogen storage is among the most demanding challenges in the hydrogen-based energy cycle. One proposed strategy for hydrogen storage is based on physisorption on high surface area solids such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Within this class of materials, MOF-5 has been the first structure studied for hydrogen storage. The IR spectroscopy of adsorbed H2 performed at 15 K and ab initio calculations show that the adsorptive properties of this material are mainly due to dispersive interactions with the internal wall structure and to weak electrostatic forces associated with O13Zn4 clusters. Calculated and measured binding enthalpies are between 2.26 and 3.5 kJ/mol, in agreement with the H2 rotational barriers reported in the literature. A minority of binding sites with higher adsorption enthalpy (7.4 kJ/mol) is also observed. These species are probably associated with OH groups on the external surfaces present as termini of the microcrystals.     

Reductive electrosynthesis of crystalline metal-organic frameworks

Electroreduction of oxoanions affords hydroxide equivalents that induce selective deposition of crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on conductive surfaces. The method is illustrated by cathodic electrodeposition of Zn(4)O(BDC)(3) (MOF-5; BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate), which is deposited at room temperature in only 15 min under cathodic potential. Although many crystalline phases are known in the Zn(2+)/BDC(2-) system, MOF-5 is the only observed crystalline MOF phase under these conditions. This fast and mild method of synthesizing MOFs is amenable to direct surface functionalization and could impact applications requiring conformal coatings of microporous MOFs, such as gas separation membranes and electrochemical sensors.     

Role of exposed metal sites in hydrogen storage in MOFs

The role of exposed metal sites in increasing the H2 storage performances in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been investigated by means of IR spectrometry. Three MOFs have been considered: MOF-5, with unexposed metal sites, and HKUST-1 and CPO-27-Ni, with exposed Cu(2+) and Ni(2+), respectively. The onset temperature of spectroscopic features associated with adsorbed H2 correlates with the adsorption enthalpy obtained by the VTIR method and with the shift experienced by the H-H stretching frequency. This relationship can be ascribed to the different nature and accessibility of the metal sites. On the basis of a pure energetic evaluation, it was observed that the best performance was shown by CPO-27-Ni that exhibits also an initial adsorption enthalpy of -13.5 kJ mol(-1), the highest yet observed for a MOF. Unfortunately, upon comparison of the hydrogen amounts stored at high pressure, the hydrogen capacities in these conditions are mostly dependent on the surface area and total pore volume of the material. This means that if control of MOF surface area can benefit the total stored amounts, only the presence of a great number of strong adsorption sites can make the (P, T) storage conditions more economically favorable. These observations lead to the prediction that efficient H2 storage by physisorption can be obtained by increasing the surface density of strong adsorption sites.     

多孔金属有机骨架材料储氢性能分子模拟

采用优化的DREIDING力场参数, 通过巨正则系综蒙特卡洛(GCMC)模拟方法对H₂在IRMOF-1、IRMOF-61和IRMOF-62共3种金属有机骨架(MOFs)材料中的吸附平衡性能进行了比较研究. 结果表明, 该力场能够在全压力范围内很好地复制H₂在IRMOF-62材料中的等温吸附曲线; 但对低压下H₂在IRMOF-61中的等温吸附曲线预测出现低估. 与IRMOF-1相比, 具有互穿骨架结构的IRMOF-61和IRMOF-62材料在常温下的储氢能力并无明显提高. 进一步比较77 K时100 kPa、3.0 MPa下H₂在上述MOFs材料中达到吸附平衡时的几率密度分布发现, H₂会优先吸附在Zn₄O骨架附近靠近苯环的位置;对具有互穿结构的MOFs材料而言,由于其孔腔尺寸缩小, 使得H₂优先吸附位区域零散化. 适当长度的有机配体形成的互穿骨架结构能增强与H₂分子之间的相互作用, 具备较高的储氢能力; 而有机配体尺寸过长则会增加骨架结构中H₂吸附死角, 对H₂的吸附能力反而出现下降.     

Design Rules for Metal-Organic Framework Stability in High-Pressure Hydrogen Environments

Stability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under hydrogen is of particular importance for a diverse range of applications, including catalysis, gas separations, and hydrogen storage. Hydrogen in gaseous form is known to be a strong reducing agent and can potentially react with the secondary building units of a MOF and decompose the porous framework structure. Moreover, rapid pressure swings expected in vehicular hydrogen storage could create significant mechanical stresses within MOF crystals that cause partial or complete pore collapse. In this work, we examined the stability of a structurally representative suite of MOFs by testing them under both static (70 MPa) and dynamic hydrogen exposure (0.5 to 10 MPa, 1000 pressure cycles) at room temperature. We aim to provide stability information for development of near room-temperature hydrogen storage media based on MOFs and suggest framework design rules to avoid materials unstable for hydrogen storage under relevant technical conditions.