A research article recently published in Nature Materials [1] reported the selective, reversible adsorption of NO2 by a metal-organic framework, MFM-300(Al), measured with a Hiden Isochema XEMIS-001 gravimetric sorption analyzer.
Nitrogen dioxide, NO2 is produced and released by burning fossil fuels in internal combustion engines and other industrial processes, and is a significant atmospheric pollutant. Adsorption of nitrogen dioxide offers a potential route to NO2 removal, but previously studied sorbents have shown relatively low NO2 adsorption capacity and often also irreversible uptake.
The authors used a XEMIS-001 gravimetric sorption analyzer to measure the interaction of nitrogen dioxide with a metal-organic framework (MOF) developed at the University of Manchester, UK. The material showed high and selective uptake for NO2, which was shown to be fully reversible over several adsorption-desorption cycles.
Dr Sihai Yang, one of the study’s lead authors and a Lecturer in Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Manchester, UK, said: “Despite the highly reactive nature of nitrogen dioxide, our material proved extremely robust. It is the first example of a metal-organic framework that exhibits a highly selective and fully reversible capability for repeated separation of nitrogen dioxide from the air, even in presence of water.”
Professor Martin Schröder, another lead author from the School of Chemistry at the University of Manchester, commented, “Other studies of different porous materials found that they were unstable and decomposed with nitrogen dioxide, or that the regeneration process was too difficult and costly.”
We are delighted to read this publication from our customers and learn more about the environmentally beneficial applications for this material and MOFs in general. It is especially pleasing to see XEMIS gravimetric sorption analyzers being used in such an important area and contributing to cutting edge research.
Dr Mark Roper, Hiden Isochema’s Sales and Marketing Director
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[1] Reversible adsorption of nitrogen dioxide within a robust porous metal-organic framework X. Han, H. G. W. Godfrey, L. Briggs, A. J. Davies, Y. Cheng, L. L. Daemen, A. M. Sheveleva, F. Tuna, E. J. L. McInnes, J. Sun, C. Drathen, M. W. George, A. J. Ramirez-Cuesta, K. M. Thomas, S. Yang and M. Schröder Nature Materials 2018. DOI: 10.1038/s41563-018-0104-7