The behaviour of MOF-ZIFs under industrial conditions

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new category of advanced porous materials which have been the focus of numerous research studies due to their high porosities and tuneable structures.  They have huge commercial potential and have been used in applications across a wide variety of chemical processes, including catalysis, gas storage and to encapsulate nuclear waste.

MOFs are usually ordered crystalline structures, however a new generation of MOFs is now being researched – ‘ZIFs’ or ‘soft crystals.’ These offer a number of advantages over traditional MOFs, including the ability to operate at a wider range in temperatures, making them suitable (and more affordable) for chemical processes.

The structure of these ZIF frameworks have been observed to collapse at high pressure and transition to liquid states at high temperatures. Scientists therefore wanted to study these MOFs under in situ conditions to gain a greater understanding of their dynamic behaviour.

Using high resolution X-ray diffraction at Diamond, scientists at the University of Cambridge were able to study the behaviours of ZIF-62 and ZIF-4 in situ under a range of temperature and pressures to assess the stability of these frameworks under industrially relevant conditions. Find out what they discovered.