Case 2009-554
UCLA researchers in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have developed a novel multifarious mixed functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF), which has been demonstrated to be successful in gas storage and separation.
BACKGROUND
Adding complexity and increasing the number of building units to crystalline structures usually leads to either mixed phases or amorphous materials. The addition of different links to zeolitic imidazolate and MOFs has been limited to two linkers. Post-synthetically, MOFs can be modified with four different functionalities, but variations in link ratios and functionalities in these systems have not been demonstrated. Controllable and facile synthesis of multifarious MOF materials that have greater than two different functional groups is essential for creating complex architectures, which can have applications in catalysis and gas storage and separation.
INNOVATION
Researchers led by Professor Omar Yaghi have developed a unique method to synthesize complex MOFs with up to eight different bridging ligands without creating mixed phases or amorphous materials. These multivariate (MTV) MOF structures have an ordered backbone but the distribution of functional groups is disordered within one crystal phase. Compared to MOF-5, which is known to uptake large amounts of gases,the hydrogen uptake of MTV-MOF-5-AHI is up to 85% greater. Similarly, MTV-MOF-5-EHI has shown to be 400% more selective for carbon dioxide over carbon monoxide.These complex pore environments not only have promising applications in gas separation and storage, but also could be explored for new and unusual properties for catalytic applications.
APPLICATIONS
Catalysis
Chemical separation
Gas storage
ADVANTAGES
Open framework with two or more different organic linkers with various chemical functionalities
Complex architectures
Multifarious materials
Tuning of crystal for multiple catalytic reactions
Selective separation of combinations of gases
STATE OF DEVELOPMENT
Several mixed link open framework materials have been synthesized and extensively characterized.
RELATED MATERIALS
H. Deng, C. J. Doonan, H. Furukawa, R. B. Ferreira, J. Towne, C. B. Knobler, B. Wang, O. M. Yaghi. Multiple Functional Groups of Varying Ratios in Metal-Organic Frameworks. Science. 2010.