DOE OSTI2024
The aim of this program was to gain a fundamental understanding of the behavior of various guest molecules in nano-confined environments, such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), using a combination of novel synthesis, ab initio modeling, and in situ characterization. Through this project, we developed a concise understanding of the mechanisms that control adsorption/desorption of gaseous molecules and their mixtures, leading to design/synthesis guidelines for MOFs with desired functionality. We further developed methods to disentangle kinetic from thermodynamic effects during adsorption, as well as to characterize the interactions at play. In the first funding cycle, the focus was on the unambiguously characterization of co-adsorption and diffusion of gasses/vapors and their mixtures. In the second funding cycle, the focus was on characterizing the effects of the nano-confinement on the kinetics and thermodynamics of adsorption processes inside MOFs, again with an emphasis on mixtures of gasses and vapors. The nano-confinement can tip the thermodynamic vs. kinetic balance, and current understanding and theory based on single-component analysis can lead to incorrect predictions for mixtures. This is of particular interest in real-world applications, where gasses/vapors are typically mixed, contain impurities, or are often exposed to humid conditions. Our main findings were: (i) within confined environments the adsorption behavior of mixed gasses/vapors can be drastically different from the “sum” of the corresponding single phases; (ii) co-adsorption is often competitive and detrimental to performance, but it can also be cooperative and beneficial; (iii) in some co-adsorbed gasses/vapors, molecules that are strongly bound in the single-component phase can be replaced by molecules that are nominally weaker bound (molecular exchange) due to guest-guest interactions that lower the kinetic barriers and favor the final adsorption state; (iv) kinetic and thermodynamic effects can be precisely controlled through pore-size engineering and synthesis; and, (v) kinetic effects can be identified and disentangled from thermodynamic effects during adsorption through a series of sequential and simultaneous gas loading measurements. The short-term goal of this program was the controlling and understanding of common MOF systems in real-world situations where gasses/vapors are mixed, which will have an important impact on industrial processes and applications from gas storage and sequestration to catalysis and sensors. The long-term goals include the development of theoretical and experimental methods for gaining a fundamental understanding of adsorption/reaction processes within MOFs, as well as new guidelines for synthesizing MOFs with tailored physical and chemical properties.