Unmet Need
Metal-organic frameworks remain a highly compelling area of interest given their versatility and adjustability. Possible applications range from gas/vapor separation to catalysis and luminescence to drug delivery However, practical usability is still limited by high fabrication costs, poor selectivity, low capacity, and difficulty in recycling/regeneration. Some MOF-technologies are unstable, particularly varying environments, which restrains their commercial use. Additionally, most fabrication processes are characterized by low throughput, and higher throughput processes are still mostly experimental. Therefore, there is a need for innovation in the efficiency, stability, and functionality of MOFs to increase their translational viability.
Technology Overview
Inventors at Johns Hopkins and the Applied Physics Laboratory have reported a method for a post-synthetic modification of metal-organic framework materials using molecules containing sulfonic acid group and sulfonate group. Its single step process is novel from existing two-step processes which require initial reaction with hydrochloric acid before reaction with a molecule containing a sulfonate group in the final step. This method also leads to simultaneous enhancement of hydrophilicity and water stability of metal-organic frameworks. The technology increases efficiency of the fabrication process, and provides enhanced application in water-sorption, adsorptive heat transformation, and atmospheric water harvesting.
Stage of Development
Conceptual stage. However, experimental data is available.
Patent
N/A
Publication
Luo TY, Park S, Chen TH, Prerna, Patel R, Li X, Ilja Siepmann J, Caratzoulas S, Xia Z, Tsapatsis M. Simultaneously Enhanced Hydrophilicity and Stability of a Metal-Organic Framework via Post-Synthetic Modification for Water Vapor Sorption/Desorption. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022 Aug 5:e202209034. doi: 10.1002/anie.202209034. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35929949.
