New isoreticular metal-organic framework materials for high hydrogen storage capacity

We propose new isoreticular metal-organic framework (IRMOF) materials to increase the hydrogen storage capacity at room temperature. Based on the potential-energy surface of hydrogen molecules on IRMOF linkers and the interaction energy between hydrogen molecules, we estimate the saturation value of hydrogen sorption capacity at room temperature. We discuss design criteria and propose new IRMOF materials that have high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage densities. These new IRMOF materials may have gravimetric storage density up to 6.5 wt % and volumetric storage density up to 40 kg H2/m3 at room temperature.     

Metal-organic frameworks—New materials for hydrogen storage

Published data on the physical sorption of hydrogen by new materials with a large specific surface area, crystalline microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are systematized and analyzed. The hydrogen-accumulating properties of MOFs are compared with those of traditional materials (charcoals and zeolites) and nanocarbon systems. The role of secondary hydrogen spillover in the development of new approaches to increase the adsorption capacity of hydrogen storage materials is separately considered.     

Ultrahigh CO2 adsorption capacity on carbon molecular sieves at room temperature

Although metal-organic framework (MOF) materials have been postulated as superior to any other sorbent for CO(2) adsorption at room temperature, here we prove that the appropriate selection of the raw material and the synthesis conditions allows the preparation of carbon molecular sieves (CMSs) with adsorption capacity, on a volumetric basis, highly exceeding those reported in the literature for MOFs. Furthermore, the excellent sorption properties of CMSs over the whole pressure range (up to 50 bar) are fully reversible after different adsorption/desorption cycles.     

On the mechanism of hydrogen storage in a metal-organic framework material

Monte Carlo simulations were performed modeling hydrogen sorption in a recently synthesized metal-organic framework material (MOF) that exhibits large molecular hydrogen uptake capacity. The MOF is remarkable because at 78 K and 1.0 atm it sorbs hydrogen at a density near that of liquid hydrogen (at 20 K and 1.0 atm) when considering H2 density in the pores. Unlike most other MOFs that have been investigated for hydrogen storage, it has a highly ionic framework and many relatively small channels. The simulations demonstrate that it is both of these physical characteristics that lead to relatively strong hydrogen interactions in the MOF and ultimately large hydrogen uptake. Microscopically, hydrogen interacts with the MOF via three principle attractive potential energy contributions: Van der Waals, charge-quadrupole, and induction. Previous simulations of hydrogen storage in MOFs and other materials have not focused on the role of polarization effects, but they are demonstrated here to be the dominant contribution to hydrogen physisorption. Indeed, polarization interactions in the MOF lead to two distinct populations of dipolar hydrogen that are identified from the simulations that should be experimentally discernible using, for example, Raman spectroscopy. Since polarization interactions are significantly enhanced by the presence of a charged framework with narrow pores, MOFs are excellent hydrogen storage candidates.     

Isosteric enthalpies for hydrogen adsorbed on nanoporous materials at high pressures

A sound understanding of any sorption system requires an accurate determination of the enthalpy of adsorption. This is a fundamental thermodynamic quantity that can be determined from experimental sorption data and its correct calculation is extremely important for heat management in adsorptive gas storage applications. It is especially relevant for hydrogen storage, where porous adsorptive storage is regarded as a competing alternative to more mature storage methods such as liquid hydrogen and compressed gas. Among the most common methods to calculate isosteric enthalpies in the literature are the virial equation and the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. Both methods have drawbacks, for example, the arbitrary number of terms in the virial equation and the assumption of ideal gas behaviour in the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. Although some researchers have calculated isosteric enthalpies of adsorption using excess amounts adsorbed, it is arguably more relevant to applications and may also be more thermodynamically consistent to use absolute amounts adsorbed, since the Gibbs excess is a partition, not a thermodynamic phase. In this paper the isosteric enthalpies of adsorption are calculated using the virial, Clausius–Clapeyron and Clapeyron equations from hydrogen sorption data for two materials—activated carbon AX-21 and metal-organic framework MIL-101. It is shown for these two example materials that the Clausius–Clapeyron equation can only be used at low coverage, since hydrogen’s behaviour deviates from ideal at high pressures. The use of the virial equation for isosteric enthalpies is shown to require care, since it is highly dependent on selecting an appropriate number of parameters. A systematic study on the use of different parameters for the virial was performed and it was shown that, for the AX-21 case, the Clausius–Clapeyron seems to give better approximations to the exact isosteric enthalpies calculated using the Clapeyron equation than the virial equation with 10 variable parameters.     

Understanding hydrogen sorption in a polar metal-organic framework with constricted channels

A high fidelity molecular model is developed for a metal-organic framework (MOF) with narrow (approximately 7.3 A?) nearly square channels. MOF potential models, both with and neglecting explicit polarization, are constructed. Atomic partial point charges for simulation are derived from both fragment-based and fully periodic electronic structure calculations. The molecular models are designed to accurately predict and retrodict material gas sorption properties while assessing the role of induction for molecular packing in highly restricted spaces. Thus, the MOF is assayed via grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) for its potential in hydrogen storage. The confining channels are found to typically accommodate between two to three hydrogen molecules in close proximity to the MOF framework at or near saturation pressures. Further, the net attractive potential energy interactions are dominated by van der Waals interactions in the highly polar MOF - induction changes the structure of the sorbed hydrogen but not the MOF storage capacity. Thus, narrow channels, while providing reasonably promising isosteric heat values, are not the best choice of topology for gas sorption applications from both a molecular and gravimetric perspective.     

MOF/graphite oxide hybrid materials: exploring the new concept of adsorbents and catalysts

Two types of metal-organic framework (MOF)/graphite oxide hybrid materials were prepared. One is based on a zinc-containing, MOF-5 and the other on a copper-containing HKUST-1. The materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction, sorption of nitrogen, thermal analyses, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their features are compared to the ones of the parent materials. The water stability and ammonia adsorption capacity of the hybrid materials were also evaluated. It was found that the latter compounds exhibit features similar to the ones of the parent MOF. In most cases, their porosity increased compared to the one calculated considering the physical mixture of MOF and GO. This new porosity likely located between the two components of the hybrid materials is responsible for the enhanced ammonia adsorption capacity of the compounds. However, for both the zinc-based and the copper-based materials (MOFs and hybrid materials), a collapse of the framework was observed as a result of ammonia adsorption. This collapse is caused by the interactions of ammonia with the metallic centers of MOFs either by hydrogen bonding (zinc-based materials) or coordination and subsequent complexation (copper-based materials). Whereas the MOF-5 based compounds collapse in presence of humidity, the copper-based materials are stable.     

Quest for zeolite-like metal-organic frameworks: on pyrimidinecarboxylate bis-chelating bridging ligands

Two novel porous zeolitelike metal-organic frameworks (ZMOFs) were constructed via the single metal ion-based molecular building block approach from rigid and directional tetrahedral building units and pyrimidinecarboxylate bridging ligands; their ion exchange and hydrogen sorption properties were evaluated.     

Hydrogen adsorption in a highly stable porous rare-earth metal-organic framework: sorption properties and neutron diffraction studies

A highly stable porous lanthanide metal-organic framework, Y(BTC)(H2O).4.3H2O (BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), with pore size of 5.8 A has been constructed and investigated for hydrogen storage. Gas sorption measurements show that this porous MOF exhibits highly selective sorption behaviors of hydrogen over nitrogen gas molecules and can take up hydrogen of about 2.1 wt % at 77 K and 10 bar. Difference Fourier analysis of neutron powder diffraction data revealed four distinct D2 sites that are progressively filled within the nanoporous framework. Interestingly, the strongest adsorption sites identified are associated with the aromatic organic linkers rather than the open metal sites, as occurred in previously reported MOFs. Our results provide for the first time direct structural evidence demonstrating that optimal pore size (around 6 A, twice the kinetic diameter of hydrogen) strengthens the interactions between H2 molecules and pore walls and increases the heat of adsorption, which thus allows for enhancing hydrogen adsorption from the interaction between hydrogen molecules with the pore walls rather than with the normally stronger adsorption sites (the open metal sites) within the framework. At high concentration H2 loadings (5.5 H2 molecules (3.7 wt %) per Y(BTC) formula), H2 molecules form highly symmetric novel nanoclusters with relatively short H2-H2 distances compared to solid H2. These observations are important and hold the key to optimizing this new class of rare metal-organic framework (RMOF) materials for practical hydrogen storage applications.     

Tuning MOF Stability and Porosity via Adding Rigid Pillars

High stability and permanent porosity are the premise of general applicability for metal-organic framework materials (MOFs). By varying degrees of success on increasing the connectivity of the linear pillar 4,4'-bipyridine (bpy), two isostructural flexible frameworks [M(2)(obb)(2)(DMF)(2)]·2DMF (1, M = Zn or Cu; H(2)obb = 4,4'-oxybis(benzoic acid), DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) with no gas sorption are structurally modified into two rigid frameworks [Zn(2)(obb)(2)(bpy)]·DMF (2) and [Cu(2)(obb)(2)(bpy)(0.5)(DMF)]·2DMF (3) with notable gas sorption and separation properties. Especially for 3, it exhibits gas selective uptake for the adsorption of CO(2) over N(2) and CH(4) under 273 K and has an interesting physically lock effect in benzene and cyclohexane sorption. The results provide a successful strategy on tuning framework stability of flexible structures via adding rigid pillars.     

Tuning Hydrogen Sorption Properties of Metal–Organic Frameworks by Postsynthetic Covalent Modification

Postsynthetic modification is presented as a means to tune the hydrogen adsorption properties of a series of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). IRMOF‐3 (isoreticular metal–organic framework), UMCM‐1‐NH₂ (University of Michigan crystalline material), and DMOF‐1‐NH₂ (DABCO metal–organic framework) have been covalently modified with a series of anhydrides or isocyanates and the hydrogen sorption properties have been studied. Both the storage capacities and isosteric heats of adsorption clearly show that covalent postsynthetic modification can significantly enhance the sorption affinity of MOFs with hydrogen and in some cases increase both gravimetric and volumetric uptake of the gas as much as 40 %. The significance of the present study is illustrated by: 1) the nature of the substituents introduced by postsynthetic modification result in different effects on the binding of hydrogen; 2) the covalent postsynthetic modification approach allows for systematic modulation of hydrogen sorption properties; and 3) the ease of postsynthetic modification of MOFs allows a direct evaluation of the interplay between MOF structure, hydrogen uptake, and heat of adsorption. The findings presented herein show that postsynthetic modification is a powerful method to manipulate and better understand the gas sorption properties of MOFs.     

Improving Reproducibility in Hydrogen Storage Material Research

Research into new reversible hydrogen storage materials has the potential to help accelerate the transition to a hydrogen economy. The discovery of an efficient and cost-effective method of safely storing hydrogen would revolutionise its use as a sustainable energy carrier. Accurately measuring storage capacities – particularly of novel nanomaterials – has however proved challenging, and progress is being hindered by ongoing problems with reproducibility. Various metal and complex hydrides are being investigated, together with nanoporous adsorbents such as carbons, metal-organic frameworks and microporous organic polymers. The hydrogen storage properties of these materials are commonly determined using either the manometric (or Sieverts) technique or gravimetric methods, but both approaches are prone to significant error, if not performed with great care. Although commercial manometric and gravimetric instruments are widely available, they must be operated with an awareness of the limits of their applicability and the error sources inherent to the measurement techniques. This article therefore describes the measurement of hydrogen sorption and covers the required experimental procedures, aspects of troubleshooting and recommended reporting guidelines, with a view of helping improve reproducibility in experimental hydrogen storage material research.     

A three-dimensional microporous metal-organic framework with large hydrogen sorption hysteresis

A three-dimensional microporous metal-organic framework [Cd(2)(Tzc)(2)](n), which is dehydrated from [Cd(2)(Tzc)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](n), exhibits selective gas adsorption and large hydrogen sorption hysteresis.     

Multifunctionality in hybrid magnetic materials based on bimetallic oxalate complexes

This tutorial review illustrates the design of multifunctional oxalate-based magnetic materials through the combination of the intrinsic magnetism of the metal-organic framework and the additional properties introduced by several organic/inorganic functional cations.     

Electronic structure and properties of isoreticular metal-organic frameworks: the case of M-IRMOF1 (M = Zn, Cd, Be, Mg, and Ca)

We investigate the possibility of tailoring the electronic properties of isoreticular metal-organic materials by replacing the metal atom in the metal-organic cluster and by doping. The electronic structure of M-IRMOF1, where IRMOF1 stands for isoreticular metal-organic framework 1 and M = Be, Mg, Ca, Zn, and Cd, was examined using density-functional theory. The results show that these materials have similar band gaps (ca. 3.5 eV) and a conduction band that is split into two bands, the lower of which has a width that varies with metal substitution. This variation prompted us to investigate whether doping with Al or Li could be used to tailor the electronic properties of the Zn-IRMOF1 and Be-IRMOF1 materials. It is shown that replacing one metal atom with Al can effectively be used to create IRMOFs with different metallic properties. On the other hand, adding Li produces structural changes that render this approach less suitable.     

Two cationic metal-organic frameworks based on cadmium and α,ω-alkanedisulfonate anions and their photoluminescent properties

We have successfully synthesized three cadmium-based metal-organic frameworks by utilizing two separate organic linkers to direct the structure. The first material is a three-dimensional neutral framework based on 2D cadmium ethanedisulfonate layers pillared by a 4,4'-bipyridine linker. The other two materials are 3D cationic frameworks and are the first with propanedisulfonate and butanedisulfonate as extraframework charge balancing anions. Both structures occupy a high symmetry hexagonal crystal system where Cd-bipy chains are arranged into three crystallographically distinct layers that stack spirally along [001]. The framework is stabilized by alkanesulfonate anions that are electrostatically and hydrogen bonded to the framework. Each material was characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The thermal and luminescent properties were also investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, respectively. All three materials exhibit high thermal stability to above 300 °C and efficient blue emissive photoluminescence centered at 425 nm to 450 nm upon 350 nm excitation.     

Tuning the physisorption of molecular hydrogen: binding to aromatic,hetero-aromatic and metal-organic framework materials

We present a study on the binding properties of molecular hydrogen to several polar aromatic molecules and to a model for the metal-oxide corner of the metal organic framework materials recently investigated as promising supports for hydrogen storage. Density functional theory employing the Perdew Wang exchange-correlation functional and second order Møller-Plesset calculations are used to determine the equilibrium structures of complexes with molecular hydrogen and their stability. It is found that for most hetero-aromatics the edge sites for molecular hydrogen physisorption have stabilities comparable to the top sites. The DFT predicted binding energies compare favorably with those estimated at MP2 level, and get closer to the MP2 results for increased electrostatic contributions (induced by the polar aromatics) to the intermolecular interaction. Vibrational frequencies are also computed at the DFT level, and infrared activities of the H₂ stretching frequency are compared for the various complexes. Pyrrole, pyridine and n-oxide pyridine are predicted to form the more stable complexes among one-ring aromatics. The computed binding energies to metal-organic framework materials are in good agreement with experimental observations. It is suggested that replacement of the organic linker in MOF materials with some of the more efficient aromatics investigated here might contribute to enhance the H₂ storage properties of mixed inorganic–organic materials.     

Enantioselective sorption of alcohols in a homochiral metal-organic framework

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction study reveals the host-guest interactions between a homochiral metal-organic framework and two enantiomers of a chiral alcohol providing the key driving force for the enantioselective sorption of alcohols in the framework.     

Construction of different dimensional inorganic-organic hybrid materials based on polyoxometalates and metal-organic units via changing metal ions: from non-covalent interactions to covalent connections

Five POM-based hybrid materials have been designed and synthesized based on different metal ions under hydrothermal conditions, namely, [Zn(Hfcz)(H(2)O)(3)](H(3)fcz)(SiMo(12)O(40)).3H(2)O (1), [Cd(2)(Hfcz)(6)(H(2)O)(2)](SiMo(12)O(40)).H(2)O (2), [Co(2)(Hfcz)(2)(SiW(12)O(40))](H(3)fcz)(2)(SiW(12)O(40)).10H(2)O (3), [Ni(2)(Hfcz)(4)(H(2)O)(2)](SiW(12)O(40)).5H(2)O (4) and [Ag(4)(Hfcz)(2)(SiMo(12)O(40))] (5), where Hfcz is fluconazole [2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1,3-di(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol]. Their crystal structures have been determined by X-ray diffraction, elemental analyses, IR spectra, and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). There are 1D mono and double chain-like metal-organic units in compounds 1 and 2, respectively. Polyoxometalates and metal-organic units co-crystallize through hydrogen bonds. In compound 3, metal-organic sheets are pillared by one kind of polyanion through covalent connections to generate a sandwich double-sheet. The other kind of polyanion acts as a counter-ion and lies in two adjacent sandwich double-sheets through non-covalent interactions. Polyanions covalently link metal-organic sheets to extend to an unusual 3D 5-connected framework with the (4(4).6(6)) topology in 4. In compound 5, polyanions link metal-organic chains to form a sheet through covalent connections. It is interesting that compound 5 shows an intricate (4,5,10)-connected framework with (4(4).6(2))(4)(4(8).6(2))(2)(4(14).6(19).8(12)) topology based on two kinds of Ag cations as four-connected and five-connected nodes, and polyanions as ten-connected nodes, when AgO interactions are considered. It represents the highest connected network topology presently known for polyoxometalate systems. The structural differences among 1-5 indicate the importance of different metal-organic units, coordination modes of polyanions for framework formation, and the interactions between polyanions and metal-organic units. In addition, the luminescent properties of compounds 1, 2 and 5, and electrochemical behaviours of compounds 1-5 have been investigated.     

From metal-organic framework to nanoporous carbon: toward a very high surface area and hydrogen uptake

In this work, with a zeolite-type metal-organic framework as both a precursor and a template and furfuryl alcohol as a second precursor, nanoporous carbon material has been prepared with an unexpectedly high surface area (3405 m(2)/g, BET method) and considerable hydrogen storage capacity (2.77 wt % at 77 K and 1 atm) as well as good electrochemical properties as an electrode material for electric double layer capacitors. The pore structure and surface area of the resultant carbon materials can be tuned simply by changing the calcination temperature.