Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Membrane with Marked Thermochemical Stability for High-Temperature Catalytic Processes

Abstract

The thermochemical stability of metal organic framework (MOF) membranes is vital for the application in chemical-reaction and -separation processes, but understanding the stability of MOF membranes and structure–property relationships under antagonistic chemical atmosphere is still required. In this work, a supported zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) membrane, ZIF-7/MgO-Al2O3, of unprecedented hydrothermal stability is obtained by a modulation of the acid–base chemistry at the membrane/support interface. The solid/solid interface acidity that has been overlooked in the fields turns out to have paramount inducing effects on the thermochemical stability of ZIF membranes, resulting in the catastrophic acid-catalyzed decomposition of ZIF frameworks at atomic level. The ZIF-7/MgO-Al2O3 of marked thermochemical stability permits the first significant application of MOF membranes for catalytic membrane reactor (MR) in severe and practical process conditions, performing water–gas shift reaction (CO + H2O ↔ CO2...