Unusual Regenerable Porous Metal-Organic Framework Based on a New Triple Helical Molecular Necklace for Separating Organosulfur Compounds

Abstract

Desulfurization of fuels is receiving more and more attention all over the world due to the increase of stringent environmental regulations and fuel specifications. The metal-organic framework (MOF) is a new class of crystalline materials, and high porosity, one of the most important properties of MOFs, plays a central role in the functional properties. However, the investigation of MOFs, being employed as sorbents for adsorptive desulfurization, is still scarce. In this regard, we have constructed a new 3D porous compound 1 by using rigidly designed carboxylate ligands, which, for the first time, exhibit an unusual triple molecular necklace-like helix. The N(2) sorption isotherms of 1 show that it has a large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume. With the stable pore structure and appropriate pore sizes, compound 1 has been used as a sorbent for adsorptive desulfurization. The results indicate that compound 1 shows an excellent adsorption property and, more importantly, displays excellent stability, repeatability, and regenerability. Thus, the design and synthesis of targeted MOFs with appropriate pore size and increased interactions between organosulfur compounds and ligands/metals from MOFs is crucial for adsorptive desulfurization, which might be an effective guide to find an efficient and green adsorbent for desulfurization.