Scaling & Supramolecular Engineering of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

The emergence of metal-organic frameworks has presented an untapped potential for solving US Army individual and collective protection issues. The majority of work on MOF synthesis has been done at lab scale, yielding milligram or gram quantities. To test practical devices, scale up of MOF synthesis processes to kilogram quantities is necessary. However, most large commercial suppliers are uninterested in MOF scale-up without the market pull of a promising application. MOFs are produced via crystallization, so scale up from lab-scale batch processes to kg quantities is intrinsically challenging. The goal of this proposed work is to advance the state-of-the-art in MOF engineering and production. We will focus on two major objectives: 1) scaling and cost reduction of synthesis of UiO-66, Cu-BTC, and MIL-101-NH2 and 2) development of techniques for self-assembly of MOF-isocyanate superstructures in solution. The final deliverables for this Phase I project will be i) optimized synthesis procedures for producing a minimum of 100 grams per batch of each MOF at a cost of $250/kg or less and ii) demonstration of engineered MOF superstructures with a combination of macro/mesopores and micropores.