VATIS UPDATE Article

A team of researchers King Abdullah University of Science and Technology‘s Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Research Center, Saudi Arabia, are developing porous solids called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the selective removal of various gases from gas mixtures. Their latest breakthrough material can effectively take up carbon dioxide (CO2) even when it is present at concentrations as low as 400 parts per million and opens possibilities for capturing CO2 as it is generated.

MOFs contain metal ions or clusters that are held in place by organic molecules known as linkers. Altering the chemical composition and geometry of these two primary components can produce versions with varying and highly selective abilities to adsorb and store gases. “The discovery of this latest material for capturing CO2 is the result of about four to five years of work on this unique MOF platform,” said Professor Mohamed Eddaoudi.

Eddaoudi explained that the key challenge was to create something that could exceed the performance of existing options while also greatly reducing the energy requirements over the full cycle of operation. The researchers’ response was to develop a fluorine-containing MOF in which square-grid layers encompassing Ni(II) metal centers and pyrazine linkers are bridged via pillars composed of niobium, oxygen and the fluorine atoms.