Supercritical processing as a route to high internal surface areas and permanent microporosity in metal-organic framework materials

Andrew P Nelson; Omar K Farha; Karen L Mulfort; Joseph T Hupp

doi:10.1021/ja808853q

Supercritical processing as a route to high internal surface areas and permanent microporosity in metal-organic framework materials

J Am Chem Soc. 2009 Jan 21;131(2):458-60. doi: 10.1021/ja808853q.

Authors

Andrew P Nelson¹, Omar K Farha, Karen L Mulfort, Joseph T Hupp

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry and International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.

PMID: 19108683
DOI: 10.1021/ja808853q

Abstract

Careful processing of four representative metal-organic framework (MOF) materials with liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide (ScD) leads to substantial, or in some cases spectacular (up to 1200%), increases in gas-accessible surface area. Maximization of surface area is key to the optimization of MOFs for many potential applications. Preliminary evidence points to inhibition of mesopore collapse, and therefore micropore accessibility, as the basis for the extraordinarily efficacious outcome of ScD-based activation.