Phototriggered Desorption of Hydrogen, Ethylene, and Carbon Monoxide from a Cu(I)-Modified Covalent Organic Framework

Materials that are capable of adsorbing and desorbing gases near ambient conditions are highly sought after for many applications in gas storage and separations. While the physisorption of typical gases to high surface area covalent organic frameworks (COFs) occurs through relatively weak intermolecular forces, the tunability of framework materials makes them promising candidates for tailoring gas sorption enthalpies. The incorporation of open Cu(I) sites into framework materials is a proven strategy to increase gas uptake closer to ambient conditions for gases that are capable of π-back-bonding with Cu. Here, we report the synthesis of a Cu(I)-loaded COF with subnanometer pores and a three-dimensional network morphology, namely Cu(I)-COF-301. This study focused on the sorption mechanisms of hydrogen, ethylene, and carbon monoxide with this material under ultrahigh vacuum using temperature-programmed desorption and Kissinger analyses of variable ramp rate measurements. All three gases desorb near or above room temperature under these conditions, with activation energies of desorption (E _des) calculated as approximately 29, 57, and 68 kJ/mol, for hydrogen, ethylene, and carbon monoxide, respectively. Despite these strong Cu(I)-gas interactions, this work demonstrated the ability to desorb each gas on-demand below its normal desorption temperature upon irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. While thermal imaging experiments indicate that bulk photothermal heating of the COF accounts for some of the photodriven desorption, density functional theory calculations reveal that binding enthalpies are systematically lowered in the COF-hydrogen matrix excited state initiated by UV irradiation, further contributing to gas desorption. This work represents a step toward the development of more practical ambient temperature storage and efficient regeneration of sorbents for applications with hydrogen and π-accepting gases through the use of external photostimuli.

Gas Mass-Transport Coefficients in Ionomer Membranes Using a Microelectrode

Gas permeability, the product of gas diffusivity and Henry's gas-absorption constant, of ionomer membranes is an important transport parameter in fuel cell and electrolyzer research as it governs gas crossover between electrodes and perhaps in the catalyst layers as well. During transient operation, it is important to divide the gas permeability into its constituent properties as they are individually important. Although transient microelectrode measurements have been used previously to separate the gas permeability into these two parameters, inconsistencies remain in the interpretation of the experimental techniques. In this work, a new interpretation methodology is introduced for determining independently diffusivity and Henry's constant of hydrogen and oxygen gases in ionomer membranes (Nafion 211 and Nafion XL) as a function of relative humidity using microelectrodes. Two time regimes are accounted for. At long times, gas permeability is determined from a two-dimensional numerical model that calculates the solubilized-gas concentration profiles at a steady state. At short times, permeability is deconvoluted into diffusivity and Henry's constant by analyzing transient data with an extended Cottrell equation that corrects for actual electrode surface area. Gas permeability and diffusivity increase as relative humidity increases for both gases in both membranes, whereas Henry's constants for both gases decrease with increasing relative humidity. In addition, results for Nafion 211 membranes are compared to a simple phase-separated parallel-diffusion transport theory with good agreement. The two-time-regime analysis and the experimental methodology can be applied to other electrochemical systems to enable greater precision in the calculation of transport parameters and to further understanding of gas transport in fuel cells and electrolyzers.

Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2: Novel Iron-Based Acetate EMIM Ionic Compound

We synthesized and characterized a novel iron(II) aceto EMIM coordination compound, which has a simplified empirical formula Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2, in two different hydration forms: as anhydrous monoclinic compound and triclinic dihydrate Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2·2H2O. The dihydrate compound is isostructural with recently reported Mn4(OAc)10[EMIM]2·2H2O, while the anhydrate is a superstructure of the Mn counterpart, suggesting the existence of solid solutions. Both new Fe compounds contain chains of Fe2+ octahedrally coordinated exclusively by acetate groups. The EMIM moieties do not interact directly with the Fe2+ and contribute to the structural framework of the compound through van der Waals forces and C-H···O hydrogen bonds with the acetate anions. The compounds have a melting temperature of ∼94 °C; therefore, they can be considered metal-containing ionic liquids. Differential thermal analysis indicates three endothermic transitions associated with melting, structural rearrangement in the molten state at about 157 °C, and finally, thermal decomposition of the Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2. Thermogravimetric analyses indicate an ∼72 wt % mass loss during the decomposition at 280-325 °C. The Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2 compounds have higher thermal stability than their Mn counterparts and [EMIM][OAc] but lower compared to iron(II) acetate. Temperature-programmed desorption coupled with mass spectrometry shows that the decomposition pathway of the Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2 involves four distinct regimes with peak temperatures at 88, 200, 267, and 345 °C. The main species observed in the decomposition of the compound are CH3, H2O, N2, CO, OC-CH3, OH-CO, H3C-CO-CH3, and H3C-O-CO-CH3. Variable-temperature infrared vibrational spectroscopy indicates that the phase transition at 160-180 °C is associated with a reorientation of the acetate ions, which may lead to a lower interaction with the [EMIM]+ before the decomposition of the Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2 upon further heating. The Fe4(OAc)10[EMIM]2 compounds are porous, plausibly capable of accommodating other types of molecules.

Thermal Conversion of Unsolvated Mg(B3H8)2 to BH4 - in the Presence of MgH2

In the search for energy storage materials, metal octahydrotriborates, M(B₃H₈) _n , n = 1 and 2, are promising candidates for applications such as stationary hydrogen storage and all-solid-state batteries. Therefore, we studied the thermal conversion of unsolvated Mg(B₃H₈)₂ to BH₄ ^- as-synthesized and in the presence of MgH₂. The conversion of our unsolvated Mg(B₃H₈)₂ starts at ∼100 °C and yields ∼22 wt % of BH₄ ^- along with the formation of (closo-hydro)borates and volatile boranes. This loss of boron (B) is a sign of poor cyclability of the system. However, the addition of activated MgH₂ to unsolvated Mg(B₃H₈)₂ drastically increases the thermal conversion to 85-88 wt % of BH₄ ^- while simultaneously decreasing the amounts of B-losses. Our results strongly indicate that the presence of activated MgH₂ substantially decreases the formation of (closo-hydro)borates and provides the necessary H₂ for the B₃H₈-to-BH₄ conversion. This is the first report of a metal octahydrotriborate system to selectively convert to BH₄ ^- under moderate conditions of temperature (200 °C) in less than 1 h, making the MgB₃H₈-MgH₂ system very promising for energy storage applications.

Modifying the Electrocatalyst-Ionomer Interface via Sulfonated Poly(ionic liquid) Block Copolymers to Enable High-Performance Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) electrodes with a 0.07 mgPt cm-2 Pt/Vulcan electrocatalyst loading, containing only a sulfonated poly(ionic liquid) block copolymer (SPILBCP) ionomer, were fabricated and achieved a ca. 2× enhancement of kinetic performance through the suppression of Pt surface oxidation. However, SPILBCP electrodes lost over 70% of their electrochemical active area at 30% RH because of poor ionomer network connectivity. To combat these effects, electrodes made with a mix of Nafion/SPILBCP ionomers were developed. Mixed Nafion/SPILBCP electrodes resulted in a substantial improvement in MEA performance across the kinetic and mass transport-limited regions. Notably, this is the first time that specific activity values determined from an MEA were observed to be on par with prior half-cell results for Nafion-free Pt/Vulcan systems. These findings present a prospective strategy to improve the overall performance of MEAs fabricated with surface accessible electrocatalysts, providing a pathway to tailor the local electrocatalyst/ionomer interface.