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Flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOF) can show exceptional selectivity and capacity for adsorption of CO2. The incorporation of CO2 into flexible MOFs that have Cu2+ coordination centers and organic pillar ligands is accompanied by a distortion of the framework lattice arising from chemical interactions between these components and CO2 molecules. CO2 adsorption yields a reproducible lattice expansion that is enabled by the rotation of the pillar ligands. The structures of Cu2(pzdc)2(bpy) and Cu2(pzdc)2(bpe), CPL-2 and CPL-5, were evaluated using in situ synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction at room temperature at CO2 gas pressures up to 50 atm. The structural parameters exhibit hysteresis between pressurization and depressurization. The pore volume within CPL-2 and CPL-5 increases at elevated CO2 pressure due to a combination of the pillar ligand rotation and the overall expansion of the lattice. Volumetric CO2 adsorption measurements up to 50 atm reveal adsorption behavior consistent with the structural results, including a rapid uptake of CO2 at low pressure, saturation above 20 atm, and hysteresis evident as a retention of CO2 during depressurization. A significantly greater CO2 uptake is observed in CPL-5 in comparison with predictions based on CO2 pressure-induced expansion of the pore volume available for adsorption, indicating that the flexibility of the CPL structures is a key factor in enhancing adsorption capacity.
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This content will become publicly available on July 15, 2026
Expanding Cluster, Enhancing Adsorption: Investigating the Role of Electrostatic Configurations on Water Vapor Adsorption
Electrostatic configurations─the spatial arrangement of charged sites within an adsorbent─can profoundly influence the adsorbent’s interaction with water and the resulting cluster formation and their orientation. This design feature can serve as a tuning parameter for water vapor adsorption to achieve the desired isotherm behavior. Hence, understanding the role of electrostatic configurations in water vapor adsorption can inform many established and emerging areas concerning the water-energy nexus and water security. In this work, we apply continuous fractional component grand canonical Monte Carlo (CFC-GCMC) to perform water adsorption simulations in idealized cylindrical nanopores across five different charge configurations with varying pore sizes (1, 1.1, and 1.2 nm) and charge magnitudes (∼±0.39–1.17). The alternating along (AA) configuration (positive charges in the inner ring and negative charges in the outer ring while alternating in the z-direction) demonstrates higher water uptake at saturation, and water adsorption starts at a much lower pressure than other configurations. Analysis of the water clustering pattern in AA reveals both radial and axial expansions of water clusters, which facilitates accommodation of extra water molecules. Increasing the charge magnitude shifts the type-V isotherm inflection point to lower pressure, thereby increasing the hydrophilic nature of the cylinder. Probing different energetic interactions and electrostatic potentials of the configuration suggests the unique relaxation of the water clusters in the AA patterned cylinders. Investigating the effect of charge magnitude and pore size provides more insight into their hydrophilic nature. Finally, analyzing the hydrogen bonding and adsorbed phase characteristics at saturation hints at strong ordering induced by pore confinements and electrostatic configurations compared with bulk liquid water. The simulations show that tailored charge arrangements can enhance adsorption by facilitating uptake at a lower pressure and achieving a higher water capacity at saturation. This study presents original insights into the interplay of electrostatic configuration, pore size, and charge strength in controlling water vapor adsorption within nanopores and the resulting confined water vapor structure.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2330175
- PAR ID:
- 10654704
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Chemical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Langmuir
- Volume:
- 41
- Issue:
- 27
- ISSN:
- 0743-7463
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 17668 to 17678
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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