S.A. Noorian Najafabadi
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5 records found
1
Advancements in Inkjet Printing of Metal- and Covalent-Organic Frameworks
Process Design and Ink Optimization
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) are highly versatile materials based on inorganic modes connected via organic linkers or purely via the connection of organic building blocks, respectively. This results in 3-D nanoporous frameworks, which, due to their combination of high porosity and variability of building blocks, can exhibit exceptional properties that make them attractive. Certain applications (e.g., in electronics and as membranes) require a thin film or even a patterned morphology on various substrates. Inkjet printing of MOFs has emerged as a simple and effective technique for the scalable production of a wide range of MOF (gradient) films and patterns on a wide range of substrates according to specific requirements. This review comprehensively reviews the achievements in inkjet printing of both MOFs and COFs. We discuss the different substrates, ink formulation, and hardware intertwined requirements needed to achieve high-resolution printing and obtain desired properties such as porosity, physical-mechanical characteristics, and uniform thickness. Crucial aspects related to ink formulation, such as colloidal stability and size control of MOFs and COFs, are discussed. Additionally, we highlight potential opportunities for furthering the development of inkjet printing of MOFs/COFs and critically assess the reporting of the printing procedures and characterization of the resultant materials. In this manner, this review aims to contribute to the advancements in understanding and optimization of inkjet printing of MOFs and COFs, as this technique holds great potential for diverse applications and functionalization of MOF/COF films and patterns.
Capturing CO2 under Dry and Humid Conditions
When Does the Parent MOF Outperform the MTV MOF?
A key challenge in capturing CO2 from postcombustion gases is humidity due to competitive adsorption between CO2 and H2O. Multivariate (MTV) metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been considered a promising option to address this problem, e.g., combining CO2-affinitive and hydrophobic groups. Here, we synthesized a series of amine and methyl cofunctionalized MTV MIL-53(Al)-xNH2(1 - x)CH3 and their parent materials. All the mixed linker MIL-53(Al)-xNH2(1 - x)CH3 showed amino linker enrichment compared to the synthesis ratio, yet the linkers were distributed relatively homogeneously from the bulk to the surface. Material hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity varied with methyl or amino group content, respectively. The single-component adsorption indicated that certain mixed linker MIL-53(Al)-xNH2(1 - x)CH3 might outcompete the parent materials. In CO2-H2O competitive adsorption, however, the hydrophobic parental MIL-53(Al)-CH3 outperformed the mixed linker MOFs. CO2 adsorption capacities of 5.4, 4.9, and 3.6 wt % were found for 0.3 bar of CO2 under 0, 5, and 10% RH, respectively. The results highlight that materials with enhanced hydrophobicity and tight-fitting pores can outperform groups with high CO2 affinity in the CO2 capture under humid conditions.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) plays an important role in human health and well-being as people spend most of their time indoors. Among building materials, carpets covering high surface areas and having dense fibres have the potential to impact perceived IAQ. To explore the impact of carpets on perceived IAQ, it was studied whether low-emitting wool carpets can 'clean' the air. To assess the sorption effect of emissions of hardboard (as a permanent source) on carpet, untrained subjects were asked to assess a combination of low-odour emitting carpet and hardboard in one sample container and only hardboard in another sample container of test chamber. The results showed a slight (although not statistically relevant) difference in favour of the combination, indicating a slight adsorption effect.
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