New porous material may revolutionize the field of gas capture, separation, and storage
Developing technologies that can capture greenhouse gases is crucial to address the urgent challenge of climate change. These technologies can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from various sources, including power plants, industrial processes, and transportation, and mitigate the negative effects of climate change. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, it is essential to prioritize the development and deployment of these technologies to ensure a livable planet for future generations.
Recently, scientists discovered a new type of crystalline porous material that could revolutionize the field of gas capture. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have long been of interest to researchers due to their unique properties. However, until recently, they lacked the gas-triggered flexibility required for many applications. A recent study published in the journal Nature Materials has revealed that COFs can be made to exhibit atropisomerism, a type of conformational isomerism that inhibits single-bond rotation, resulting in non-interconvertible atropisomers.
The study, led by Dr. Huang from Stockholm University in Sweden, Prof. Zhao from the National University of Singapore, and Prof. Matsuda from Nagoya University in Japan, synthesized two COF atropisomers, COF-320 and COF-320-A. While the two atropisomers have identical chemical and interpenetrated structures, they differ in the spatial arrangement of repeating units. COF-320-A exhibits unconventional gas sorption behaviors, with one or more sorption steps in isotherms at different pressures. The team used single-crystal structures determined from continuous rotation electron diffraction and in situ powder X-ray diffraction to demonstrate that these adsorption steps originate from internal pore expansion with or without changing the crystal space group. In other words, COF-320-A recognizes different gases by continuously (crystal-to-amorphous transition) or discontinuously (crystal-to-crystal transition) expanding its internal pores or having mixed transition styles. This makes COF-320-A unique among existing soft/flexible porous crystals.
Overall, the discovery of COF-320-A and its gas-triggered flexibility has the potential to revolutionize the field of gas capture, separation, and storage. With its high stability and the ability to recognize and capture gases, COF-320-A represents a significant step forward in the development of soft/flexible porous crystals. As researchers continue to explore the potential applications of COFs and other porous materials, the possibilities for transformative technological advances continue to expand.
Read the full article in Nature Materials
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Dr. Huang's research group page
Last updated: April 25, 2023
Source: MMK