Chapter 11 - Preparation and applications of water-based isoreticular metal–organic frameworks

Abstract

Isoreticular metal–organic frameworks (IRMOFs) prepared by various methods engaging conventional costly organic solvents and precursor materials incorporate different challenges including production cost, energy, and toxicity. The environmentally friendly solvent particularly water nullifies the disadvantages occurred by hazardous solvents and provides stability, cheap production, minimal energy, disposability, and more important zero pollution. The organic solvent elimination from pores, cavities, and channels is laborious work as compared to the use of water as a solvent for the synthesis of different types of IRMOFs. The structural, thermal, and mechanical stability and other improved characteristics were found in the water-based IRMOFs. The different types of preparation methods such as microwave irradiation, ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted solvothermal, and in situ growth utilized for toxic-free IRMOFs. The IRMOFs, an extended version of MOFs surface is an important material for various types of applications because of its ultrahigh surface area, elevated pore volume, pore tenability, and topology. The elevated specific surface area, high pore volume, and cage-like framework make IRMOFs the best adsorbent/absorbent for different types of gases such as CO2, hydrogen, benzene, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, chlorine, dichloromethane, and ethylene dioxide. The two main applications including hydrogen adsorption and CO2 capture in porous IRMOFs are very crucial according to low cost and environmental friendliness when used for on-board and other applications. The IRMOFs without modification show very low hydrogen storage capacity at moderate conditions, however, post modification many folds enhancement was found.