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Metal-organic frameworks with unsaturated metal centers in their crystal structures, such as Ni/DOBDC and Mg/DOBDC, are promising adsorbents for carbon dioxide capture from flue gas due to their high CO(2) capacities at subatmospheric pressures. However, stability is a critical issue for their application. In this paper, the stabilities of Ni/DOBDC and Mg/DOBDC are investigated. Effects of steam conditioning, simulated flue gas conditioning, and long-term storage on CO(2) adsorption capacities are considered. Results show that Ni/DOBDC can maintain its CO(2) capacity after steam conditioning and long-term storage, whereas Mg/DOBDC does not. Nitrogen isotherms for Mg/DOBDC show a drop in surface area after steaming, corresponding to the decrease in CO(2) adsorption, which may be caused by a reduction of unsaturated metal centers in its structure. Conditioning with dry simulated flue gas at room temperature only slightly affects CO(2) adsorption in Ni/DOBDC. However, introducing water vapor into the simulated flue gas further reduces the CO(2) capacity of Ni/DOBDC., (© 2011 American Chemical Society)

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently attracted intense research interest because of their permanent porous structures, huge surface areas, and potential applications as novel adsorbents and catalysts. In order to provide a basis for consideration of MOFs for removal of carbon dioxide from gases containing water vapor, such as flue gas, we have studied adsorption equilibrium of CO(2), H(2)O vapor, and their mixtures and also rates of CO(2) adsorption in two MOFs: HKUST-1 (CuBTC) and Ni/DOBDC (CPO-27-Ni or Ni/MOF-74). The MOFs were synthesized via solvothermal methods, and the as-synthesized products were solvent exchanged and regenerated before experiments. Pure component adsorption equilibria and CO(2)/H(2)O binary adsorption equilibria were studied using a volumetric system. The effects of H(2)O adsorption on CO(2) adsorption for both MOF samples were determined, and the results for 5A and NaX zeolites were included for comparison. The hydrothermal stabilities for the two MOFs over the course of repetitive measurements of H(2)O and CO(2)/H(2)O mixture equilibria were also studied. CO(2) adsorption rates from helium for the MOF samples were investigated by using a unique concentration-swing frequency response (CSFR) system. Mass transfer into the MOFs is rapid with the controlling resistance found to be macropore diffusion, and rate parameters were established for the mechanism.

A diverse collection of 14 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) was screened for CO(2) capture from flue gas using a combined experimental and modeling approach. Adsorption measurements are reported for the screened MOFs at room temperature up to 1 bar. These data are used to validate a generalized strategy for molecular modeling of CO(2) and other small molecules in MOFs. MOFs possessing a high density of open metal sites are found to adsorb significant amounts of CO(2) even at low pressure. An excellent correlation is found between the heat of adsorption and the amount of CO(2) adsorbed below 1 bar. Molecular modeling can aid in selection of adsorbents for CO(2) capture from flue gas by screening a large number of MOFs.

Hydrothermal stability is a pertinent issue to address for many industrial applications where percent levels of water can be present at temperatures ranging from subambient to several hundred degrees. Our objective is to understand relative stabilities of MOF materials through experimental testing combined with molecular modeling. This will enable the ultimate design of materials with improved hydrothermal stability, while maintaining the properties of interest. The tools that we have employed for these studies include quantum mechanical calculations based upon cluster models and combinatorial steaming methods whereby a steam stability map was formulated according to the relative stability of different materials. The experimental steaming method allows for high throughput screening of materials stability over a broad range of steam levels as well as in-depth investigation of structural transformations under more highly resolved conditions, while the cluster model presented here yields the correct trends in hydrothermal stability. Good agreement was observed between predicted relative stabilities of materials by molecular modeling and experimental results. Fundamental information from these studies has provided insight into how metal composition and coordination, chemical functionality of organic linker, framework dimensionality, and interpenetration affect the relative stabilities of PCP materials. This work suggests that the strength of the bond between the metal oxide cluster and the bridging linker is important in determining the hydrothermal stability of the PCP. Although the flexibility of the framework plays a role, it is not as important as the metal-linker bond strength. This demonstration of alignment between experimental and calculated observations has proven the validity of the method, and the insight derived herein insight facilitates direction in designing ideal MOF materials with improved hydrothermal stability for desired applications.