Photoinduced postsynthetic polymerization of a metal-organic framework toward a flexible stand-alone membrane.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising class of nanoporous polymeric materials. However, the processing of such fragile crystalline powders into desired shapes for further applications is often difficult. A photoinduced postsynthetic polymerization (PSP) strategy was now employed to covalently link MOF crystals by flexible polymer chains, thus endowing the MOF powders with processability and flexibility. Nanosized UiO-66-NH2 was first functionalized with polymerizable functional groups, and its subsequent copolymerization with monomers was easily induced by UV light under solvent-free and mild conditions. Because of the improved interaction between MOF particles and polymer chains, the resulting stand-alone and elastic MOF-based PSP-derived membranes possess crack-free and uniform structures and outstanding separation capabilities for Cr(VI) ions from water.
Key Laboratory of Cluster Science, Ministry of Education of China, School of Chemistry, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South Zhongguancun Street, Beijing, 100081 (P.R. China) http://bowang.bit.edu.cn/english/index.htm.
Yuanyuan
Y
Zhang
Xiao
X
Feng
Haiwei
H
Li
Yifa
Y
Chen
Jingshu
J
Zhao
Shan
S
Wang
Lu
L
Wang
Bo
B
Wang
membranes; metal-organic frameworks; photochemistry; polymerization; separation capacity