Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of a Hexamethylenetetramine-Doped Cu-BDC Metal-Organic Framework with Enhanced CO2 Adsorption

Aisha Asghar; Naseem Iqbal; Tayyaba Noor; Majid Ali; Timothy L Easun

doi:10.3390/nano9081063

Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of a Hexamethylenetetramine-Doped Cu-BDC Metal-Organic Framework with Enhanced CO₂ Adsorption

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019 Jul 24;9(8):1063. doi: 10.3390/nano9081063.

Authors

Aisha Asghar¹, Naseem Iqbal², Tayyaba Noor³, Majid Ali¹, Timothy L Easun⁴

Affiliations

¹ U.S Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
² U.S Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan. naseem@uspcase.nust.edu.pk.
³ School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, H-12, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.
⁴ School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK. easuntl@cardiff.ac.uk.

Abstract

Herein we report a facile, efficient, low cost, and easily scalable route for an amine-functionalized MOF (metal organic framework) synthesis. Cu-BDC⊃HMTA (HMTA = hexamethylenetetramine) has high nitrogen content and improved thermal stability when compared with the previously reported and well-studied parent Cu-BDC MOF (BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate). Cu-BDC⊃HMTA was obtained via the same synthetic method, but with the addition of HMTA in a single step synthesis. Thermogravimetric studies reveal that Cu-BDC⊃HMTA is more thermally stable than Cu-BDC MOF. Cu-BDC⊃HMTA exhibited a CO₂ uptake of 21.2 wt % at 273 K and 1 bar, which compares favorably to other nitrogen-containing MOF materials.

Keywords: CO2 adsorption; Cu-BDC; HMTA; energy efficiency; functional metal organic frameworks.