Preparation of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 /graphene oxide composites with enhanced VOCs adsorption capacity

Abstract

Hybrid nanocomposites of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) and graphene oxide (GO) were prepared in a methanol system at room temperature. The ZIF-8/GO composites exhibited tunable nanoscale morphology and porosity, both determined by the GO content. A series of characterization techniques confirmed the formation of strong interactions between ZIF-8 and GO in the synthesized composites. The as-synthesized ZIF-8/GO composites were composed of aggregated nano-sized particles, and exhibited a higher volatile organic compounds (VOCs) uptake capacity than normal ZIF-8 crystal owing to the synergistic effect between ZIF-8 and graphene oxide(GO). Also an increase in the content of GO resulted in enhancing in the VOCs adsorption capacity, and the maximum adsorption capacity for VOCs was up to 240 mg/g on ZIF-8/GO with the GO content of 15 wt%. The synergistic interactions of ZIF-8 and GO may provide a new path to fabricate novel ZIFs/GO composites for a wide range of applications such as adsorption.