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The growth of high density network of MOF nano-crystals across macroporous metal substrates – solvothermal synthesis versus rapid thermal deposition

journal contribution
posted on 2018-01-01, 00:00 authored by James Wainaina Maina, Cristina Pozo-GonzaloCristina Pozo-Gonzalo, Andrea Merenda, Lingxue KongLingxue Kong, J A Schütz, Ludovic DumeeLudovic Dumee
Fabrication of metal organic framework (MOF) films and membranes across macro-porous metal substrates is extremely challenging, due to the large pore sizes across the substrates, poor wettability, and the lack of sufficient reactive functional groups on the surface, which prevent high density nucleation of MOF crystals. Herein, macroporous stainless steel substrates (pore size 44 × 40 μm) are functionalized with amine functional groups, and the growth of ZIF-8 crystals investigated through both solvothermal synthesis and rapid thermal deposition (RTD), to assess the role of synthesis routes in the resultant membranes microstructure, and subsequently their performance. Although a high density of well interconnected MOF crystals was observed across the modified substrates following both techniques, RTD was found to be a much more efficient route, yielding high quality membranes under 1 h, as opposed to the 24 h required for solvothermal synthesis. The RTD membranes also exhibited high gas permeance, with He permeance of up to 2.954 ± 0.119 × 10 −6 mol m −2 s −1 Pa −1 , and Knudsen selectivities for He/N 2 , Ar/N 2 and CO 2 /N 2 , suggesting the membranes were almost defect free. This work opens up route for efficient fabrication of MOF films and membranes across macro-porous metal supports, with potential application in electrically mediated separation applications.

History

Journal

Applied surface science

Volume

427

Issue

Part A

Pagination

401 - 408

Publisher

Elsevier

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ISSN

0169-4332

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2017, Elsevier B.V.