Issue 34, 2016

Chemistry in confined spaces: reactivity of the Zn-MOF-74 channels

Abstract

Using infrared spectroscopy combined with ab initio methods we study reactions of H2O and CO inside the confined spaces of Zn-MOF-74 channels. Our results show that, once the water dissociation reaction H2O → OH + H takes place at the metal centers, the addition of 40 Torr of CO at 200 °C starts the production of formic acid via OH + H + CO → HCO2H. Our detailed analysis shows that the overall reaction H2O + CO → HCO2H takes place in the confinement of MOF-74 without an external catalyst, unlike the same reaction on flat surfaces. This discovery has several important consequences: it opens the door to a new set of catalytic reactions inside the channels of the MOF-74 system, it suggests that a recovery of the MOF's adsorption capacity is possible after it has been exposed to water (which in turn stabilizes its crystal structure), and it produces the important industrial feedstock formic acid.

Graphical abstract: Chemistry in confined spaces: reactivity of the Zn-MOF-74 channels

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 May 2016
Accepted
03 Aug 2016
First published
03 Aug 2016

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 13176-13182

Chemistry in confined spaces: reactivity of the Zn-MOF-74 channels

S. Zuluaga, E. M. A. Fuentes-Fernandez, K. Tan, C. A. Arter, J. Li, Y. J. Chabal and T. Thonhauser, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 13176 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA04388G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements