UNDERSTANDING ADSORPTION PROCESSES IN MOFS THROUGH STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS MEASUREMENTS

摘要

The development of nanostructured materials with predictable and controllable connectivity and functionalities has sparked a multitude of research directions. We have been studying emerging metal-organic framework (MOFs) systems aimed at applications that benefit from their high surface areas and tailored chemistries. Applying the unique properties of MOFs to a range of industrial problems has resulted in our development of detailed understanding of the roles unsaturated metal centers have in adsorption processes. We have applied neutron scattering methods (including powder diffraction, vibrational and rotational spectroscopy, and quasi-elastic scattering) to enhance our understanding of the performance (or lack of performance) of novel storage and adsorption systems. This will be illustrated by discussing several examples taken from our recent research. In particular we will discuss the adsorption structures and energetics of transition metal (TM)-MOF-74 (CPO-27) series of materials for H2/methane storage, carbon capture, olefin-paraffin separations,and O2/N2 separations.