Name: electrophoretic crystallization of ultrathin high-performance metal-organic framework membranes
Uploaded: 2018-08-16T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Electrophoretic Crystallization of Ultrathin High-performance Metal-organic Framework Membranes at JoVE.com

We acknowledge our home institution, the &#201;cole Polytechnique F&#233;d&#233;rale de Lausanne (EPFL), for its generous support. This project has received funding from the European Union&#39;s Horizon 2020 Research and innovation program under the Marie Sk&#322;odowska-Curie grant agreement No. 665667. The authors thank Pascal Alexander Schouwink for his help with XRD.

CAUTION: Read carefully the material safety data sheets (MSDS) of the chemicals involved. Some of the chemicals used in the experiment are toxic. The present method involves the synthesis of nanoparticles. Therefore, take appropriate precautions. The entire synthesis procedure must be performed in a well-ventilated fume hood.
NOTE: The details of the instruments, the chemicals, and the materials involved in the synthesis of the MOF films are listed in Table 1.
<p class="jo...

<ol>
	<li>Knebel, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Defibrillation+of+soft+porous+metal-organic+frameworks+with+electric+fields.">Defibrillation of soft porous metal-organic frameworks with electric fields.</a> Science. 358, 347-351 (2017).</li><li>Brown, A. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Interfacial+microfluidic+processing+of+metal-organic+framework+hollow+fiber+membranes.">Interfacial microfluidic processing of metal-organic framework hollow fiber membranes.</a> Science. 345, 72-75 (2014).</li><li>Dzubak, A. L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ab+initio+carbon+capture+in+open-site+metal-organic+frameworks.">Ab initio carbon capture in open-site metal-organic frameworks.</a> Nature Chemistry. 4, 810-816 (2012).</li><li>Gascon, J., Kapteijn, F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Metal-organic+framework+membranes-high+potential,+bright+future.">Metal-organic framework membranes-high potential, bright future.</a> Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 49, 1530-1532 (2010).</li><li>Liu, X., Wang, C., Wang, B., Li, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Novel+Organic-Dehydration+Membranes+Prepared+from+Zirconium+Metal-Organic+Frameworks.">Novel Organic-Dehydration Membranes Prepared from Zirconium Metal-Organic Frameworks.</a> Advanced Functional Materials. 27, 1-6 (2017).</li><li>Zhang, F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrogen+selective+NH2-MIL-53(Al)+MOF+membranes+with+high+permeability.">Hydrogen selective NH2-MIL-53(Al) MOF membranes with high permeability.</a> Advanced Functional Materials. 22, 3583-3590 (2012).</li><li>Kwon, H. T., Jeong, H. -. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=In+situ+synthesis+of+thin+zeolitic-imidazolate+framework+ZIF-8+membranes+exhibiting+exceptionally+high+propylene/propane+separation.">In situ synthesis of thin zeolitic-imidazolate framework ZIF-8 membranes exhibiting exceptionally high propylene/propane separation.</a> Journal of the American Chemical Society. 135, 10763-10768 (2013).</li><li>Hou, J., Sutrisna, P. D., Zhang, Y., Chen, V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Formation+of+ultrathin,+continuous+metal-organic+framework+membranes+on+flexible+polymer+substrates.">Formation of ultrathin, continuous metal-organic framework membranes on flexible polymer substrates.</a> Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 55, 3947-3951 (2016).</li><li>Barankova, E., Tan, X., Villalobos, L. F., Litwiller, E., Peinemann, K. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+metal+chelating+porous+polymeric+support:+the+missing+link+for+a+defect-free+metal-organic+framework+composite+membrane.">A metal chelating porous polymeric support: the missing link for a defect-free metal-organic framework composite membrane.</a> Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 56, 2965-2968 (2017).</li><li>He, G., Dakhchoune, M., Zhao, J., Huang, S., Agrawal, K. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Electrophoretic+Nuclei+Assembly+for+Crystallization+of+High-Performance+Membranes+on+Unmodified+Supports.">Electrophoretic Nuclei Assembly for Crystallization of High-Performance Membranes on Unmodified Supports.</a> Advanced Functional Materials. , (2018).</li><li>Li, X., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Large-area+synthesis+of+high-quality+and+uniform+graphene+films+on+copper+foils.">Large-area synthesis of high-quality and uniform graphene films on copper foils.</a> Science. 324, 1312-1314 (2009).</li><li>Rodriguez, A. T., Li, X., Wang, J., Steen, W. A., Fan, H. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Facile+synthesis+of+nanostructured+carbon+through+self-assembly+between+block+copolymers+and+carbohydrates.">Facile synthesis of nanostructured carbon through self-assembly between block copolymers and carbohydrates.</a> Advanced Functional Materials. 17, 2710-2716 (2007).</li><li>Huang, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Large-area+single-layer+graphene+membranes+by+crack-free+transfer+for+gas+mixture+separation.">Large-area single-layer graphene membranes by crack-free transfer for gas mixture separation.</a> Nature Communications. , (2018).</li><li>Agrawal, K. V., Dakachoune, M., Huang, S., He, G., Dudani, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Ultrahigh flux gas-selective nanoporous carbon membrane and manufacturing method thereof. , (2017).</li><li>Liu, J., W&#246;ll, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Surface-supported+metal-organic+framework+thin+films:+fabrication+methods,+applications,+and+challenges.">Surface-supported metal-organic framework thin films: fabrication methods, applications, and challenges.</a> Chemical Society Reviews. 46, 5730-5770 (2017).</li></ol>

The standout feature of the ENACT method with respect to the existing methods15 is that the ENACT method enables the synthesis of highly intergrown, ultrathin MOF films on a wide range of porous and nonporous substrates. Any substrate pretreatment is avoided, making this method quite straightforward for the synthesis of MOF films. Although EPD equipment has to be used for the deposition of a nuclei film, the equipment is composed of a power source, a metal electrode, and a beaker, which is quite s...

Thin molecular sieving membranes offer a high-energy efficiency in the separation of molecules and can reduce the overall cost of fuels, CO2 capture, water purification, solvent recovery, etc.1,2. MOFs are a promising class of material for the synthesis of molecular sieving membranes because of the involved isoreticular synthetic chemistry and relatively straightforward crystallization3. To date, MOF membranes comprising of diverse crystalline structures, including that of ZIF-4, -7, -8, -9, -11, -67, -90, and -93, and UiO-66, HKUST-1, and MIL-53 have been reported4,5. These membranes are synthesized by crystallizing high-quality polycrystalline MOF films on a porous support. Generally, to obtain a high separation selectivity, it is necessary to reduce the defects in the polycrystalline MOF film (such as pinholes and grain-boundary defects). A convenient approach to reduce the defects is to crystallize a thick film. Not surprisingly, several of the earlier reported on MOF membranes are extremely thick (over 5 &#181;m). Unfortunately, thick films lead to a long diffusion path, which limits the membrane permeance. Therefore, while selectivity is improved, permeance is sacrificed. To circumvent this trade-off, it is imperative to develop methods to crystallize ultrathin (&#60; 0.5 &#181;m-thick), defect-free MOF films.
ZIF-8 is the most intensively studied MOF for membrane synthesis, due to its exceptional chemical and thermal stability and a simple crystallization chemistry6,7. So far, the reported ultrathin ZIF-8 membranes have been realized by changing the surface chemistry or topology of the underlying porous substrate, favoring the heterogeneous nucleation of ZIF-8, which is essential for an intergrown polycrystalline film. For instance, Chen et al. reported the synthesis of 1 &#181;m-thick ZIF-8 film on (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-modified TiO2-coated poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fibres8. They observed a high heterogeneous nucleation density and attributed it to the simultaneous modification of the surface chemistry and nanostructure. The Peinemann group reported an ultrathin ZIF-8 membrane on a metal-chelating, polythiosemicarbazide (PTSC) support9. This unique metal-chelating capability of PTSC led to the binding of zinc ions, promoting the heterogeneous nucleation of ZIF-8 which, subsequently, led to high-performance ZIF-8 membranes. In general, tuning the substrate chemistry and nanostructure facilitates the synthesis of high-performance MOF membranes; however, these methods are quite complex, and usually cannot be reapplied to synthesize MOF membranes from other attractive MOF structures.
Herein, we report the synthesis of ultrathin, highly intergrown ZIF-8 films using a simple and versatile crystallization approach that can be reapplied to form a thin intergrown film of several crystalline materials10. We show examples of ZIF-8 and ZIF-7 films prepared without any substrate pretreatment, which greatly simplifies the preparation process. The ZIF-8 films are prepared on a wide range of substrates (ceramic, polymer, metal, carbon, and graphene). The 500 nm-thick ZIF-8 film on an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) support displays an attractive separation performance. A high H2 permeance of 8.3 x 10-6 mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1 and attractive ideal selectivities of 7.3 (H2/CO2), 15.5 (H2/N2), 16.2 (H2/CH4), and 2655 (H2/C3H8) are achieved.
The crystallization approach that enables the above-mentioned feat is ENACT. ENACT deposits ZIF-8 nuclei onto a substrate directly from the crystal&#39;s precursor sol. The approach utilizes EPD for a very short period of time (1 - 4 min) right after the induction time (the time when the nuclei appear in the precursor sol). The application of an electric field to the charged MOF nuclei drives them toward an electrode with a flux that is proportional to the strength of the applied electric field (E), the electrophoretic mobility of the colloid (&#956;), and the concentration of nuclei (Cn) as shown in the Equations 1 and 2.
<img alt="Equation 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/58301/58301eq1.jpg" /> 
(Equation 1)
<img alt="Equation 2" src="/files/ftp_upload/58301/58301eq2.jpg" /> 
(Equation 2)
Here, 
v = the drift velocity, 
&#950; = the zeta potential of the nuclei, 
&#949;o = the permittivity of vacuum, 
&#949;r = the dielectric constant, and 
&#951; = the viscosity of the precursor sol.
Therefore, by controlling E and the solution pH (which determines &#950;&#160;), the packing density of nuclei can be controlled. The subsequent growth of the densely-packed nuclei in the precursor sol allows researchers to obtain a highly intergrown polycrystalline film.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Zinc nitrate hexahydrate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>96482-500G</td>
			<td>98% purity</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2-Methylimidazole</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
			<td>M50850-500G</td>
			<td>99% purity</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Benzimidazole</td>
			<td>TCI</td>
			<td>B0054-500G</td>
			<td>98% purity</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tape</td>
			<td>DuPont</td>
			<td>KPT-1/8</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Epoxy</td>
			<td>GC Electronics</td>
			<td>19-823</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Copper foil</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>13380.CV</td>
			<td>99.9% purity</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Power source for EPD</td>
			<td>Gamry Instruments</td>
			<td>Interface 1000E Potentiostat</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ultrasonic cleaner</td>
			<td>MTI corporation</td>
			<td>VGT-1860QTD</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AAO</td>
			<td>GE Healthcare Life Sciences&#8206;</td>
			<td>6809-7013</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PAN</td>
			<td>Shandong MegaVision</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>The molecular weight cut-off is 100 kDa</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

electrophoretic crystallization of ultrathin high-performance metal-organic framework membranes

We report the synthesis of thin, highly intergrown, polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes on a wide range of unmodified porous and non-porous supports (polymer, ceramic, metal, carbon, and graphene). We developed a novel crystallization technique, which is termed the ENACT approach: the electrophoretic nuclei assembly for the crystallization of highly intergrown thin films (ENACT). This approach allows for a high density of heterogeneous nucleation of MOFs on a chosen substrate via the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) directly from the precursor sol. The growth of well-packed MOF nuclei leads to a highly intergrown polycrystalline MOF film. We show that this simple approach can be used for the synthesis of thin, intergrown zeolite imidazole framework (ZIF)-7 and ZIF-8 films. The resulting 500 nm-thick ZIF-8 membranes show a considerably high H2 permeance (8.3 x 10-6 mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1) and ideal gas selectivities (7.3 for H2/CO2, 15.5 for H2/N2, 16.2 for H2/CH4, and 2655 for H2/C3H8). An attractive performance for C3H6/C3H8 separation is also achieved (a C3H6 permeance of 9.9 x 10-8 mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1 and a C3H6/C3H8 ideal selectivity of 31.6 at 25 &#176;C). Overall, the ENACT process, owing to its simplicity, can be extended to synthesize intergrown thin films of a wide range of nanoporous crystalline materials.

A homemade EPD set-up was used to synthesize the MOF films (Figure 1). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were collected for the ZIF-8 nuclei film (Figure 2). SEM was used to image the surface and cross-sectional morphologies of the AAO support, ZIF-8/AAO membrane, PAN support, ZIF-8/PAN membrane, ZIF-8/graphene film, and ZIF-7/AAO membrane (Figure 3). The ...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Electrophoretic Crystallization of Ultrathin High-performance Metal-organic Framework Membranes at JoVE.com

Electrophoretic Crystallization of Ultrathin High-performance Metal-organic Framework Membranes

A simple, reproducible, and versatile approach for the synthesis of intergrown, polycrystalline metal-organic framework membranes on a wide range of unmodified porous and non-porous supports is presented.

We report the synthesis of thin, highly intergrown, polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes on a wide range of unmodified porous and ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Chemistry

Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalized Metal-organic Frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks have attracted extraordinary amounts of research attention, as they are attractive candidates for numerous industrial and ...

Synthesis of a Water-soluble Metal&#8211;Organic Complex Array

Synthesis of a Water-soluble MetalÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚Â¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…â€œOrganic Complex Array

We demonstrate a method for the synthesis of a water-soluble multimetallic peptidic array containing a predetermined sequence of metal centers such as ...

Synthesis of a Thiol Building Block for the Crystallization of a Semiconducting Gyroidal Metal-sulfur Framework

We present a method for preparing thioester molecules as the masked form of the thiol linkers and their utilization for accessing a semiconducting and ...

Surface Functionalization of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Improved Moisture Resistance

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous inorganic materials with promising properties in gas storage and separation, catalysis and sensing. ...

In situ FTIR Spectroscopy as a Tool for Investigation of Gas/Solid Interaction: Water-Enhanced CO2 Adsorption in UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework

In situ FTIR Spectroscopy as a Tool for Investigation of Gas/Solid Interaction: Water-Enhanced CO2 Adsorption in UiO-66 Metal-Organic Framework

In situ infrared spectroscopy is an inexpensive, highly sensitive, and selective valuable tool to investigate the interaction of polycrystalline solids ...

Development of Heterogeneous Enantioselective Catalysts using Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

Development of Heterogeneous Enantioselective Catalysts using Chiral Metal-Organic Frameworks MOFs

Substrate size discrimination by the pore size and homogeneity of the chiral environment at the reaction sites are important issues in the validation of ...

Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Core-Shell Metal-Organic Frameworks

Because of their designability and unprecedented synergistic effects, core-shell metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been actively examined recently. ...

A Technical Guide for Performing Spectroscopic Measurements on Metal-Organic Frameworks

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) offer a unique platform to understand light-driven processes in solid-state materials, given their high structural ...

Synthesis and Discovery of Phosphonate-Based MOFs: A Solvothermal Approach

Discovery and Synthesis Optimization of Isoreticular Al(III) Phosphonate-Based Metal-Organic Framework Compounds Using High-Throughput Methods

Accelerating Discovery in Microporous Material Chemistry (Video) | JoVE

High-throughput (HT) methods are an important tool for the fast and efficient screening of synthesis parameters and the discovery of new materials. This ...