Multilevel Pore Structure Research Articles

Hybrid Particle Size Template Method for Controllable Synthesis of Nitrogen-doped Multilevel Porous Carbon as High-rate Zn-ion Hybrid Supercapacitor Cathode Materials.

Achieving high rate performance without compromising energy density has always been a critical objective for zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs). The pore structure and surface properties of carbon cathode materials play a crucial role. We propose utilizing a hybrid particle size (20 and 40 nm) magnesium oxide templates to regulate the pore structure of nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from the soybean isolate. The multilevel pore structure enhanced ion transport efficiency while also improving the utilization of micropores. Nitrogen doping and oxygen-containing functional groups enhanced the wettability of carbon materials with aqueous electrolytes and facilitated the chemisorption of Zn2+ on the carbon material surface. The nitrogen-doped multilevel porous carbon material (HT-NMPC-1/1) prepared with a 1:1 mass ratio of the two templates exhibited a specific capacity of 146.65 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1. Moreover, the Swagelok cells assembled with HT-NMPC-1/1 and Zn foil achieved a high energy density of 121.5 W h kg-1, high power output of 166 W kg-1, and 93.09% capacity retention after 8000 cycles at 2 A g-1. Therefore, HT-NMPC-1/1 is a highly promising candidate for ZHSCs cathode materials. Furthermore, the novel pore regulation strategy and straightforward preparation method offer valuable reference points for other porous carbon-based functional materials.

Biomimetic Channels Design in Metal-Organic Framework Enabling Highly Lithium-Ion Conduction for Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an ideal material for constructing high-performance lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the low ion conductivity and poor interface contact (especially at low temperatures) still seriously hinder its further application. Herein, inspired by the Na+/K+ conduction in biology systems, a series (NH2, OH, NH-(CH2)3-SO3H)-modified MIL-53-X as SSEs is reported. These functional groups are similar to anions suspended in biological ion channels, partially repelling anions while allowing cations to be effectively transported through pore channels. Subsequently, MIL-53-X with hierarchical pore structure (H-MIL-53-X) is obtained by introducing lauric acid as a regulator, and then the effects of structural design and morphology control on its performance are explored. The conductivity of H-MIL-53-NH-SO3Li with multi-level pore structure and modified by sulfonic acid groups reached 2.2×10-3Scm-1 at 25°C, lithium-ion transference number of 0.78. Besides, the H-MIL-53-NH-SO3Li still has an excellent conductivity of 10-4Scm-1 at -40°C. Additionally, LiFePO4/Li batteries equipped with H-MIL-53-NH-SO3Li SSEs could operate stably for over 200 cycles at 0.1C. The strategy of combining structural and morphological design of MOFs with biomimetic ion channels opens new avenues for the design of high-performance SSEs.

Construction and photothermal properties of Ag nanoparticles modified multilevel porous CuO film with ultra-wide infrared spectrum absorption

Based on lattice vibration and energy band theory, narrow bandgap inorganic semiconductor materials have become a new type of photothermal material, but it is difficult to achieve absorption for long wavelength infrared radiation to meet the application requirements of ultra-wide spectrum (2.5–20 μm) infrared detectors. From the perspective of structural optics, this paper constructed a multilevel porous CuO film with both coral-like micro-porous and flower-like nano-porous structures based on chemical bath deposition technique, and the Ag nanoparticles were uniformly embedded in the "petal" gaps of flower-like nano-porous CuO by optimizing the dosages of PVP. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of multilevel porous structure and loaded Ag nanoparticles, the Ag nanoparticles modified multilevel porous CuO (CuO@Ag-PVP 0.05) film had an average absorption of 94.17 % over the wavelength range of 2.5–20 μm. The photothermal conversion efficiency of CuO@Ag-PVP 0.05 film can reach up to 81.12 % and 86.96 % over near-infrared and far-infrared light ranges, respectively. The various material characterizations and simulations analysis showed that the multilevel porous structure containing coral-like and flower-like multi-scale pores can form two guiding modes for light, and based on the synergistic effect of the two guiding modes, the CuO film can form a strong trapping effect for light over ultra-wide spectral range, broaden its absorption range, and enhance its absorption characteristics. The loaded Ag nanoparticles contain a large number of free electrons, which can capture light energy and convert it into heat energy through local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, further enhancing the light absorption and photothermal conversion efficiency.

An explore method for quick screening biomarkers based on effective enrichment capacity and data mining

Protein glycosylation acts as a crucial role in regulating protein function and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Efficient peptide enrichment can be utilized to effectively solve the inherent challenges of protein glycosylation analysis to search unknown cancer biomarkers. In this research, a low dimensional porous hydrophilic nanosheets with a multi-level porous structure (Co-MOF-SiO2@HA) was synthetized via an easy one-pot method for the efficient enrichment of the N-glycopeptides in the digests of complex biosamples. The synthetized nanosheets Co-MOF-SiO2@HA demonstrated excellent enriching performances including a high enrichment capacity (300 mg g-1 calculated), a spectacular selectivity (IgG digests and BSA digests at the molar ratio of 1/1200), and an excellent spatial confinement ability (IgG digests, IgG and BSA at the molar ratio of 1/1000/1000). As an explore result, after the enrichment of human colorectal cancer tissue and human healthy tissue by the nanosheets, several proteins related to cancers and one protein directly related to well-known human colorectal cancer were identified by detecting the corresponding glycopeptides. It presented the potential value of the feasibility of this analysis mode by nanosheets Co-MOF-SiO2@HA in proteomic analysis.

Machine learning-enabled attapulgite/polyimide nanofiber composite aerogels-based colorimetric sensor array for real-time monitoring of balsa fish freshness

This paper presents the development and application of attapulgite/polyimide nanofiber composite aerogels (ATP/PI NFAs) integrated with a range of acid-base indicators, fabricated using electrospinning and freeze-drying technologies. A detailed characterization of the ATP/PI NFAs revealed a 3D multi-level pore structure that enhanced the mass transfer of target gas molecules and their interaction with probe molecules. Utilizing machine learning approaches, we designed an ATP/PI NFAs-based colorimetric sensor array capable of real-time evaluation of balsa fish freshness. Color features sensitive to changes in freshness were selected using principal component analysis and random forest. Partial least squares regression and random forest regression models were established, achieving the prediction of total volatile basic nitrogen content in balsa fish. The system was validated using a national standard method to demonstrate its accuracy and practicality. The combination of advanced ATP/PI NFAs-based colorimetric sensor array with robust machine learning models paves the way for food safety monitoring.

Preparation and characterization of hierarchically porous hybrid gels for efficient dye adsorption.

Water treatment faces significant challenges due to the increasing complexity of pollutants and the need for more efficient, sustainable treatment methods. However, current adsorbent materials often struggle with issues such as low adsorption capacity, slow kinetics, and poor reusability, limiting their practical application. In this study, we developed a novel hierarchical porous hybrid gel (HPHG) for water treatment to address the limitations of conventional adsorbents. The HPHG features a multi-level porous structure (from 48 ± 28 nm to 4385 ± 823 nm) that significantly enhances its porosity and specific surface area. We systematically investigated the relationship between the material's structure and its adsorption performance. Kinetic studies revealed a tendency towards a pseudo-second-order adsorption model, attributed to the material's unique structural features that facilitate rapid mass exchange channels inside HPHG and provide abundant active sites for pollutant adsorption. Reusability tests demonstrated that the material retained 85.4% of its initial adsorption capacity after five adsorption-desorption cycles, highlighting its potential for practical applications. This study provides valuable insights into structure-performance relationships in advanced water treatment materials, offering a promising approach for designing next-generation adsorbents with superior efficiency and sustainability.

A Multielectrode Layout for High Reliability of Flexible Piezoresistive Sensor: One Stimulus Signal to Three Sensing Signals.

Flexible sensors have developed rapidly due to their great application potential in the intelligent era. However, the frequent bending work requirements pose a serious challenge to the mechanical reliability of flexible sensors. Herein, a strategy of using a new multielectrode layout to achieve multiple sensing signals based on one external signal is proposed for the first time to improve the reliability of flexible piezoresistive sensors. The multielectrode layout consists of a pair of interdigital electrodes and a bottom electrode. The interdigitated electrodes are used to sense the change in the surface resistance of the sensor, and the interdigital electrodes and the bottom electrode are used to sense the change in the bulk resistance of the sensor. As a result, without increasing the sensing unit area, the electrode layout allows the sensor to generate three response electrical signals when sensing an external pressure, thus improving the reliability of the sensor. Based on the electrode layout, a highly reliable flexible piezoresistive sensor with a multilevel porous structure is obtained by a microwave foaming method with a template. In the working state of sensing surface resistance, the sensor has a 22.12 kPa-1 sensitivity. Meanwhile, in the working state of sensing bulk resistance, the sensor shows a 55.17 kPa-1 sensitivity. Furthermore, the sensor is applied to monitor human pulse and speech signals, demonstrating its multisignal output characteristics and potential applications in flexible electronics. In conclusion, the new strategy of using the proposed electrode layout to improve the reliability of flexible sensors is expected to greatly promote the practical application of flexible electronics.

Development of polyimide nanofiber aerogels with a 3D multi-level pore structure: A new sensor for colorimetric detection of breath acetone

Polyimide nanofiber aerogels loaded with thymol blue and hydroxylamine sulfate (TB-HAS@PI NFAs) were synthesized and employed as a novel sensor for colorimetric detection of breath acetone (BrAce). The enhancement of 3D multi-level pore structure of TB-HAS@PI NFAs for sensing performance was elucidated through systematical characterization results. Because the designed sensing system relied on the specific reaction of HAS with acetone, TB-HAS@PI NFAs exhibited a more sensitive response ability to acetone, ensuring that the colorimetric sensing detection will not be interfered by other coexisting gas in exhaled breath. Moreover, the sensor demonstrated a rapid response, with color changes quantitatively measured within 30 s of exposure to acetone gas. Importantly, the feasibility and accuracy of established method were confirmed through comparison with GC–MS. This research provided a promising strategy for daily health management of healthy people and diabetics.

An application of hierarchical MgAl hydrotalcite in the highly efficient treatment of oilfield macromolecular contaminants.

In this work, salicylic acid (SA) was used to induce the self-assembly of octadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (OTAC), a cationic surfactant, into three-dimensional wormlike micelle aggregates. These aggregates act as a soft template for hierarchical MgAl hydrotalcite (LDH) to create a multi-level pore structure adsorption material. Scanning electron microscopy characterization showed that the surface of the hierarchical hydrotalcite exhibited a dense layered structure, unlike the monolayer structure of ordinary hydrotalcite. Furthermore, the hierarchical MgAl-LDH possesses a significantly larger specific surface area (113.94 m2/g) and wide pore size distribution ranging more extensively from 2 to 80nm, which significantly has an impressive adsorption effect on sulfonated lignite (SL), with a maximum adsorption capacity of 192.7mg/g at pH = 7. Extensive research has been conducted on the adsorption mechanism of hierarchical MgAl-LDH, attributing it to surface adsorption due to the unique multi-level structure of the adsorbent. After two cycles of regeneration experiments, the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent remained at a high level of 179.1mg/g, demonstrating the excellent renewability of hierarchical MgAl-LDH. Moreover, the hierarchical hydrotalcite showed high adsorption capacity in the adsorption of sulfonated lignite, which was attributed to its larger specific surface area and superior pore structure to expose more active sites.

How multi-level porous carbon structure affects electrocatalytic properties?

For zinc-air batteries, it is crucial to develop bifunctional electrocatalysts that exhibit exceptional activity, high stability, and low cost. Based on this, three-dimensional carbon-based catalysts with multiple pore sizes were successfully prepared by using three different combinations of soluble salts as hard templates for controlling morphology and structure. These catalysts are denoted as 3D Co/NCBMS. Because of the synergistic effect of heteroatomic doping and a multi-level porous structure, 3D Co/NCBMS exhibits better catalytic properties for OER and ORR, comparable to IrO2 and Pt/C. The half-wave potential of the 3D Co/NCBMS catalyst was 0.82 V (vs RHE) in the ORR reaction and 1.54 V in the OER reaction. 3D Co/NCBMS samples exhibit excellent stability, maintaining a charge and discharge efficiency of approximately 54 % after stable cycling for 225 h. It also demonstrates high resistance to methanol poisoning, with the current remaining at around 95 % in alkaline electrolyte solutions when assembled into zinc-air batteries.

Metal–organic framework–derived trimetallic particles encapsulated by ultrathin nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets on a network of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as bifunctional catalysts for rechargeable zinc–air batteries

Economical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) bifunctional catalysts with high activity aimed at replacing precious metal catalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) must be developed. In this study, a multiple hierarchical-structural material is developed using a facile dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma surface treatment, solvothermal reaction, and high-temperature carbonization strategy. This strategy allows for the construction of nanosheets using nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) material-encapsulated ternary CoNiFe alloy nanoparticles (NPs) on a network of NC nanotubes (NCNTs), denoted as CoNiFe–NC@p–NCNTs. Precisely, the presence of abundant CoNiFe alloy NPs and the formation of M–N–C active sites created by transition metals (cobalt, nickel, and iron) coupled with NC can provide superior OER/ORR bifunctional properties. Moreover, the prepared NC layers with a multilevel pore structure contribute to a larger specific surface area, exposing numerous active sites and enhancing the uniformity of electron and mass movement. The CoNiFe0.08–NC@p–NCNTs show remarkable dual functionality for electrochemical oxygen reactions (ORR half-wave potential of 0.811 V, limiting current density of 5.73 mA cm−2 measured with a rotating disk electrode at a rotation speed of 1600 rpm, and OER overpotential of 351 mV at 10 mA cm−2), which demonstrates similar ORR performance to 20 wt% Pt/C and better OER performance than the commercial RuO2. A liquid ZAB prepared using the proposed material has excellent bifunctionality with an open-circuit voltage of 1.450 V and long-term cycling stability of 230 h@10 mA cm−2.

Construction of multi-porous Ni-based monolithic catalyst by combining wood carbon and SBA-15 for strengthening CO2 methanation

Monolithic catalysts meet the needs of practical application compared with powder catalysts. In this work, we constructed a Ni-based monolithic catalyst (Ni/SAB-15/WWC) by in situ growth of rod-like mesoporous SBA-15 in the microchannels of wood carbon. The small Ni-based nanoparticles (∼5.3 nm) were uniformly dispersed into the mesoporous channels via a post-loading method. The monolithic Ni/SAB-15/WWC catalyst with a multilevel porous structure could provide a laminar gas flow on the surface of Ni active sites, increasing the low-temperature activity and high-temperature durability of CO2 methanation. The Ni/SAB-15/WWC with low Ni loading (∼2%) displayed superior CO2 methanation catalytic performance in terms of low-temperature activity and CH4 selectivity compared with the powder Ni/SAB-15 with high Ni loading (∼15 %). The combination of wood carbon and mesoporous materials is an innovative strategy for the design monolithic catalysts with low metal loading and excellent catalytic performance.

Low-pollution asphalt: Road performance, emission reduction efficacy, and modification mechanism

To further improve the emission reduction efficiency and enhance the road performance of emission reduction modified asphalt. A low-pollution asphalt (TBD-A) was prepared with tourmaline, biochar, and diatomite (TBD). A testing and evaluation method for the emission reduction efficacy of TBD-A has been proposed. The road performance of TBD-A was evaluated based on DSR, MSCR, BBR, and LAS. The evolution law of the emission reduction effect of TBD-A was clarified. Based on DSC, FTIR, and TG, the improvement mechanism of the road performance and emission reduction mechanism of TBD-A were revealed. The results show that the high-temperature performance, creep recovery ability, and fatigue life of TBD-A increase with TBD content rising. The low-temperature performance of TBD-A is superior to that of asphalt slurry. Controlling the TBD content and temperature can ensure the excellent low-temperature performance of TBD-A. The emission reduction efficacy of TBD-A increases as temperature and adsorption time rise. The comprehensive emission reduction rate of TBD-rubber-powder asphalt is the highest, reaching 64% at 190 °C. TBD and asphalt are physically blended. TBD increases asphalt's glass transition temperature while decreasing the thermal decomposition rate. The temperature stability and sensitivity of asphalt have been improved. Asphalt harmful substances are adsorbed by the multi-level pore structure of TBD, as well as are reduced and degraded by the spontaneous polarization effect.

Heteroatoms co-doped multi-level porous carbon as electrode material for supercapacitors with ultra-long cycle life and high energy density

As a promising electrode material for supercapacitors, porous carbon has received widespread attention. However, taking into account of the capacitive performance, the cost and environmental protection, the practicability of the carbon previously reported is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is meaningful and challenging to develop a proper carbon material. In the present work, N, O, P co-doped porous carbon materials are prepared from poplar catkin biomass wastes with a two-step chemical activation method by using H3PO4 and K2CO3, separately. Specifically, the optimal HKPC-1-2.0 possesses a multi-level pore structure with an ultra-high specific surface area (2133 m2 g−1) and a suitable micropore percentage (52.8 %). As a result, HKPC-1-2.0 displays a specific capacitance of 296.2 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 in the three-electrode system by using 6.0 M KOH as electrolyte. More importantly, the symmetrical HKPC-1-2.0//HKPC-1-2.0 device exhibits a high capacity retention rate of 100.1 % even after 40,000 charge-discharge cycles at 1.0 A g−1. The co-doping of the heteroatoms and the hierarchical network with suitable pore size distribution are advantageous for the storage and transportation of ions, therefore leading to the encouraging capacitive performance. This work not only offers a low-cost and high-performance carbon electrode material for supercapacitors but also develops an environmentally-friendly strategy for effectively conversing biomass wastes to high value-added products.

High-Yield Synthesis of Colloidal Carbon Rings and Their Applications in Self-Standing Electrodes of Li-O2 Batteries.

The use of carbon materials in porous electrodes has impressive advantages. However, precisely tailoring the multilevel pore structure of carbon electrodes remains an unsolved challenge. Here, we report a highly efficient site-selective growth strategy to synthesize colloidal carbon rings by templating patchy droplets. Carbon rings are used for the direct fabrication of self-standing porous electrodes with hierarchical pores for lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs). In situ atomic force microscopy reveals that during discharge the discharge products densely nucleate and grow on carbon rings, demonstrating that such rings are a very potential electrode material in LOBs. The hollow carbon ring electrode (HCRE) possesses micrometer-scale channels formed by random packing of rings and nanochannels consisting of ring-shaped hollow cavities connected by nanosized pores in the wall. Both channels contribute to ion transportation and gas diffusion, but the storage of the discharge products mainly lies in micrometer-scale channels, leading to a high discharge capacity of LOBs (20 658 mAh/g). Our work paves a new way to construct hierarchically porous electrodes for application in electrocatalysis and electrochemical energy storage.

Robust hierarchical porous Polycaprolactone/nano-Hydroxyapatite/Polyethylene glycol scaffolds with boosted in vitro osteogenic ability

The reconstruction of bone defects is an important challenge in tissue engineering. Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) composite scaffolds play an important role in bone tissue engineering due to their excellent biological activity, mechanical properties, and osteogenic properties. However, multi-dimensional voids are required during cell infiltration and growth, and the HA and PCL composite scaffold cannot meet the conditions well. In this work, polyethylene glycol (PEG) with hydrophilic and rapid degradation characteristics was introduced into the PCL/nHA system to form porous scaffold. Meanwhile, the physicochemical properties, biological safety, and biological activity of the scaffold were evaluated. It was found that the composite scaffolds with the addition of PEG were safe and non-toxic, which not only improved the hydrophilicity, porosity and degradation rate of the scaffolds, but also formed 20 nm to 4 µm microscopic pores after hydrolysis, together with the large pores of 100–200 µm prepared by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), which jointly endowed the scaffolds with a rich multilevel pore structure. Moreover, this micropore can be adjusted by modulating the content of the added PEG, which is beneficial to cell adhesion, enhance the in vitro osteogenic ability, and expect to become future bone tissue engineering scaffolds.

Synthesis of layered ZSM-5 zeolites with stable self-supported structure for enhanced catalytic cracking of cycloalkane aromatics

High diffusion resistance of conventional microporous ZSM-5 zeolites greatly inhibits the effective conversion of cycloalkane aromatics into BTX, ethylene, and propylene over acid sites during the catalytic cracking of diesel. Herein, we successfully synthesized self-supported layered ZSM-5 with enhanced diffusion ability and specific acid site distribution through pre-crystallization and hydrothermal synthesis to boost the catalytic cracking of tetralin. Assisted by pre-synthesized crystal seeds as nuclei and quaternary ammonium salts, a unique 2 nm thick layer was stably spread over the surface of the crystal seeds. Even after the templating agents are removed at high temperatures, the robust self-supported layered structure could still maintain the thermal stability of MFI structure with excess 50 % acid sites distributed on the external surface. Such specific acidic distribution greatly resisted the formation of coke in the zeolite pore channels. Moreover, thanks to the reduced diffusion resistance of the mesoporous structure, the self-supported layered ZSM-5 zeolites exhibited enhanced tetralin conversion of 47.3 %, nearly 38 % higher than that of traditional ZSM-5 zeolites (9.7 %). This work could provide a reference for the design of efficient zeolite catalysts with multi-level pore structure for catalytic cracking of diesel.

A Ni-Fe-V trimetallic phosphorus-selenium composite supported on carbon cloth as freestanding electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Developing highly active non-noble metal oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts is still urgent and significant to enable the large-scale hydrogen production. Herein, we propose a freestanding electrocatalyst of Ni-Fe-V trimetallic phosphorus-selenium composite on carbon cloth (NiV2P/FeSe@CC) for this issue, which is realized by the in-situ growth of V-MOF, the introduction of Ni and Fe components by electrodeposition, and the synchronous phosphatization and selenization treatment. The well-designed composite exhibits an excellent electrical conductivity and multi-level pore structure, which makes for rapid charge/mass transport and sufficient exposure of catalytic sites. The electrochemical deposition process allows Ni and Fe components to be uniformly deposited on the V-MOF, while the phosphorus and selenium co-doping can modulate the catalyst electronic structure and promote the adsorption of reaction intermediates, thus improving the OER catalytic activity. Consequently, the freestanding electrocatalyst exhibits an ultra-low overpotential of 168 mV under a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a small Tafel slope of 44.32 mV dec-1 in alkaline environment. The outstanding performance is maintained in the integrated electrolyzer, presenting a small voltage of 1.53 V getting a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and an ultrastability for 160 h under 100 mA cm−2.

Multifunctional material integrated from walnut shell-derived porous carbon and Co/Zn-S for high-performance supercapacitors and adsorbents

The development of materials that can be applied to high-energy-density supercapacitors and high-efficiency adsorbents remains challenging. In this paper, a novel walnut shell-derived porous carbon (WSC) decorated bimetallic sulfide (Co/Zn-S@WSC) composite was successfully fabricated by a facile high-temperature alkaline activation and vulcanization strategy. The WSC with a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure plays the role of a “skeleton” during the preparation and growth of the composite, allowing the metal-organic framework (MOF) derived sulfides Co/Zn-S to be distributed evenly across the 3D framework of porous carbon. The prepared Co/Zn-S@WSC demonstrates a multi-level pore structure, which reduces ion transport paths and facilitates energy storage, thus the electrochemical properties of the electrode are enhanced efficiently. The electrode samples were tested in a 6 mol/L KOH electrolyte. Co/Zn-S@WSC presents a specific capacitance of 987.2 F·g−1 at a current density of 1 A·g−1. In addition, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC), using Co/Zn-S@WSC (positive electrode) and WSC (negative electrode), shows a high energy density of 42.59 Wh·kg−1 at a power density of 374.88 W·kg−1 and cycling stability with 92% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles. Benefiting from a rational hierarchical pore structure, Co/Zn-S@WSC exhibits the promising adsorption capibilities for methylene blue (MB). A simple, efficient, and practical method for the development and application of novel multifunctional materials is provided by this work.

Immobilization of UiO-66-NH2 into Bacterial Cellulose Aerogels for Efficient Particulate Matter Filtration

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) hold great potential for efficient removal of particulate matter (PM) due to their high porosity and tunable surface groups. In this work, sustainable bacterial cellulose (BC) was employed as a substrate for Zr-based MOF (i.e., UiO-66-NH2) deposition. Specifically, the UiO-66-NH2@BC aerogel exhibits a multi-level pore structure with a specific surface area of 103 m2/g. Pristine BC aerogels indicated a removal efficiency of 50.6% for PM2.5, with a pressure drop of 22.8 Pa. While UiO-66-NH2@BC aerogels showed a PM2.5 removal efficiency of 96.9%. The filtration mechanism can be assigned to the following reasons: (i) the interception/impaction of PM with the fibrous and porous aerogel network; and (ii) the presence of polar amine groups that boost electrostatic interactions between PM and MOFs. Moreover, as-prepared filters can be regenerated in a facile way with good reusability and long-term stability.