Biofuel purification in GME zeolitic-imidazolate frameworks: Fromab initiocalculations to molecular simulations

Metal-Organic Frameworks for Liquid Phase Applications

In the last two decades, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted overwhelming attention. With readily tunable structures and functionalities, MOFs offer an unprecedentedly vast degree of design flexibility from enormous number of inorganic and organic building blocks or via postsynthetic modification to produce functional nanoporous materials. A large extent of experimental and computational studies of MOFs have been focused on gas phase applications, particularly the storage of low-carbon footprint energy carriers and the separation of CO2-containing gas mixtures. With progressive success in the synthesis of water- and solvent-resistant MOFs over the past several years, the increasingly active exploration of MOFs has been witnessed for widespread liquid phase applications such as liquid fuel purification, aromatics separation, water treatment, solvent recovery, chemical sensing, chiral separation, drug delivery, biomolecule encapsulation and separation. At this juncture, the recent experimental and computational studies are summarized herein for these multifaceted liquid phase applications to demonstrate the rapid advance in this burgeoning field. The challenges and opportunities moving from laboratory scale towards practical applications are discussed.

Recent Hydrophobic Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Applications

The focus of discussion of this review is the application of the most recent synthesized hydrophobic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The most promising hydrophobic MOFs are mentioned with their applications and discussed. The various MOFs considered are sub-sectioned into the main application areas, namely alcohol adsorption and oil/water-alcohol/water separation, gas separation and storage, and other applications such as self-cleaning and liquid marbles. Again, the methods of synthesis are briefly described, showing how the features of the end product aid in their applications. The efficiency of the MOF materials and synthesis methods are highlighted and briefly discussed. Lastly, the summary and outlook section concludes the write-up giving suggestions that would be useful to present-day researchers.

The effect of gme topology on multicomponent adsorption in zeolitic imidazolate frameworks

We employ a simulation approach to study the adsorption of single, binary and ternary mixtures on eight gme Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks (ZIFs) at 298 K. Four adsorbate fluids were considered; carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and water. We compute the high pressure adsorption density profiles inside the micropore channels of each crystal. The profiles are compared directly for the different structures and adsorbate components and used to highlight the influence of the imidazolate ligands on pure and competitive adsorption. ZIFs with long ligands reveal an additional, accessible to the fluid space detected for the first time. This is a wedged volume on one direction of the pore walls, shaped thus because the long ligands tilt in order to be connected. We estimate the pressure required for water to become the dominating competing adsorbate within different crystal cavities. The simulated data for CO₂ adsorption in ZIF69 strongly correlate with a set of Raman spectroscopy intensity values that correspond to the same adsorbate-adsorbent system.

A combined experimental-computational investigation on water adsorption in various ZIFs with the SOD and RHO topologies

Our results demonstrated that the contribution of vdW interactions is negligible and the contribution of electrostatic interactions plays a dominant role in the water adsorption in ZIFs.

Synthesis of homochiral zeolitic imidazolate frameworks via solvent-assisted linker exchange for enantioselective sensing and separation

Two homochiral zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (S- and R-ZIF-78h) of GME topology are synthesized via solvent-assisted linker exchange (SALE) of ZIF-78, which exhibit permanent porosity and enantioselective sensing and separation of proline.

A superhydrophobic zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) with high steam stability for efficient recovery of bioalcohols

A superhydrophobic zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) with high steam stability is prepared for bio-alcohol recovery through post-functionalization via an amine condensation reaction.

Water Desalination through Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Membranes: Significant Role of Functional Groups

A molecular simulation study is reported for water desalination through five zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) membranes, namely ZIF-25, -71, -93, -96, and -97. The five ZIFs possess identical rho-topology but differ in functional groups. The rejection of salt (NaCl) is found to be around 97% in ZIF-25, and 100% in the other four ZIFs. The permeance ranges from 27 to 710 kg/(m(2)·h·bar), about one∼two orders of magnitude higher compared with commercial reverse osmosis membranes. Due to a larger aperture size da, ZIF-25, -71, and -96 exhibit a much higher water flux than ZIF-93 and -97; however, the flux in ZIF-25, -71, and -96 is governed by the polarity of functional group rather than da. With the hydrophobic CH3 group, ZIF-25 has the highest flux despite the smallest da among ZIF-25, -71, and -96. The lifetime of hydrogen bonding in ZIF-25 is shorter than that in ZIF-71 and -96. Furthermore, water molecules undergo a fast flushing motion in ZIF-25, but frequent jumping in ZIF-96 and particularly in ZIF-97. An Arrhenius-type relationship is found between water flux in ZIF-25 and temperature, and the activation energy is predicted to be 6.5 kJ/mol. This simulation study provides a microscopic insight into water desalination in a series of ZIFs, reveals the key factors (aperture size and polarity of functional group) governing water flux, and suggests that ZIF-25 might be an interesting reverse osmosis membrane for high-performance water desalination.

Defects in Metal-Organic Frameworks: Challenge or Opportunity?

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are nanoporous materials whose crystalline character has made them attractive targets for synthesis of new materials and potential use in a diverse set of applications. The vast majority of studies of MOFs envision these materials as having ideal crystal structures. This Perspective gives an overview of the current understanding of defects in MOFs. Compared to related materials such as zeolites, the ability to detect and control defects in MOFs is nascent. Nevertheless, it is likely that defects will play a vital role in a number of contexts where MOFs are of widespread interest, so advancing our understanding of these structural features will be important in coming years. Potential origins of point defects, plane defects, and surface defects are discussed. The difficulty of defect detection in metal-organic frameworks is discussed and useful paths for future work are provided.