Nanosized Cu-MOFs induced by graphene oxide and enhanced gas storage capacity

Abstract

Various MOFs with tailored nanoporosities have recently been developed as potential storage media for CO₂ and H₂. The composites based on Cu-BTC and graphene layers were prepared with different percentages of graphene oxide (GO). Through the characterization analyses and gas adsorption experiments, we found that the nanosized and well-dispersed Cu-BTC induced by the incorporation of GO greatly improved the carbon dioxide capture and hydrogen storage performance of the composites. The materials obtained exhibited about a 30% increase in CO₂ and H₂ storage capacity (from 6.39 mmol g⁻¹ of Cu-BTC to 8.26 mmol g⁻¹ of CG-9 at 273 K and 1 atm for CO₂; from 2.81 wt% of Cu-BTC to 3.58 wt% of CG-9 at 77 K and 42 atm for H₂). Finally, the CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ selectivities were calculated according to single-component gas sorption experiment data.