A robust zirconium amino acid metal-organic framework for proton conduction

Nat Commun. 2018 Nov 22;9(1):4937. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07414-4.

Abstract

Proton conductive materials are of significant importance and highly desired for clean energy-related applications. Discovery of practical metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high proton conduction remains a challenge due to the use of toxic chemicals, inconvenient ligand preparation and complication of production at scale for the state-of-the-art candidates. Herein, we report a zirconium-MOF, MIP-202(Zr), constructed from natural α-amino acid showing a high and steady proton conductivity of 0.011 S cm-1 at 363 K and under 95% relative humidity. This MOF features a cost-effective, green and scalable preparation with a very high space-time yield above 7000 kg m-3 day-1. It exhibits a good chemical stability under various conditions, including solutions of wide pH range and boiling water. Finally, a comprehensive molecular simulation was carried out to shed light on the proton conduction mechanism. All together these features make MIP-202(Zr) one of the most promising candidates to approach the commercial benchmark Nafion.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Electric Conductivity
  • Electrolytes / chemistry
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers / chemistry
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks / chemical synthesis
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks / chemistry*
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks / ultrastructure
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protons*
  • Zirconium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Electrolytes
  • Fluorocarbon Polymers
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Protons
  • perfluorosulfonic acid
  • Zirconium