Investigation of interface compatibility in stiff polymer/metal-organic frameworks

K Gao and X Guo and B Zheng and J Wang and L Wang, MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY, 20, 100458 (2021).

DOI: 10.1016/j.mtchem.2021.100458

Polymers with excellent comprehensive performance toward enhanced stability and mechanical strength are attractive for matrix loading of tunable porous and inherently brittle metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Polyethersulfone (PES) with high mechanical strength (elastic modulus =-2.6 GPa) is one of the best polymeric materials widely applied in gas and liquid separations but hindered by its ability to adhere to MOFs surface. The combination of the interface width, porosity, atomic density, and hydrogen bonding number and strength strongly influences MOFs/PES compatibility. ZIF-8 is one of the most frequently investigated MOFs, and exhibits excellent interface compatibility with PES, which is confirmed by both computational and experimental analyses. The desired porosity and adsorption properties of ZIF-8 are retained in ZIF-8/PES composites. This study sheds light on the theoretical understanding and characterization of hybrid material systems with diverse differences be- tween brittle MOFs and stiff polymers. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Return to Publications page