Porous Ni-based metal–organic frameworks reduce the oxygen evolution temperature of lithium perchlorate

Abstract

The temperature at which inorganic oxidizers evolve oxygen is a key operational constraint in applications ranging from energetic materials to chemical oxygen generators and life-support systems. However, commonly used chlorates and perchlorates typically decompose at temperatures exceeding 400 °C, imposing limitations on efficiency, thermal management, and materials compatibility and motivating strategies for lower-temperature oxygen release without sacrificing yield. Here, porous Ni-based metal–organic frameworks catalyze LiClO₄ decomposition, lowering oxygen evolution onset temperatures by up to 180 °C relative to pure LiClO₄ while preserving >95 mol% O₂ yield. Framework porosity enables oxidizer melt-infiltration and promotes intimate nanoscale oxidizer-catalyst contact, enhancing catalytic effectiveness relative to the most effective nonporous Ni catalyst identified through Ni-salt screening. This approach demonstrates how framework porosity can be leveraged to enhance oxidizer-catalyst interactions and improve catalytic efficiency in oxygen-generating systems through structural design rather than solely through metal identity or loading, enabling lower-temperature oxygen release without compromising oxygen yield.