Hydrogen storage in metal -organic frameworks: An investigation of structure -property relationships.

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been identified as candidate hydrogen storage materials due to their ability to physisorb large quantities of small molecules. Thirteen compounds (IRMOF-1, -2, -3, -6, -8, -9, -11, -13, -18, -20, MOF-74, MOF-177 and HKUST-1) have been prepared and fully characterized for the evaluation of their dihydrogen (H₂) adsorption properties. All compounds display approximately type I isotherms with no hysteresis at 77 K up to 1 atm. The amount adsorbed ranges from 0.89 to 2.54 wt%; however, saturation is not achieved under these conditions. The influences of link functionalization, catenation and topology are examined for the eleven MOFs composed of Zn₄O(O₂C-)₆ clusters. Enhanced H₂ uptake by catenated compounds is rationalized by increased overlap of the surface potentials within their narrower pores. This is corroborated by the larger isosteric heat of adsorption of IRMOF-11 compared to IRMOF-1. Inelastic neutron scattering spectroscopic analysis of four Zn₄O-based materials (IRMOF-1, -8, -11, and MOF-74) under a range of H₂ loading suggests the presence of multiple localized adsorption sites on both the inorganic and organic moieties. To determine the structural details of the adsorption sites, variable temperature single crystal X-ray diffraction was used to analyze adsorbed argon and dinitrogen molecules in IRMOF-1. The principle binding site was found to be the same for both adsorbates and is located on faces of the octahedral Zn₄O(O₂C-)₆ clusters with close contacts to three carboxylate groups. A total of eight symmetry-independent adsorption sites were identified for argon at 30 K. Similar sites were observed for dinitrogen, suggesting that they are good model adsorbates for the behaviour of dihydrogen. Two additional materials composed of inorganic clusters with coordinatively unsaturated metal sites (MOF-74, HKUST-1) were examined and their increased capacities and isosteric heats of adsorption provide further evidence that the interaction is strongest at the inorganic clusters. This enhancement becomes less important at high pressure, where large pore volume proves to be the greater contributor to capacity.