Detection of Harmful Gases by Copper-Containing Metal-Organic Framework Films

Xiaoqin Zou (1) , Jean-Michel Goupil (2) , Sebastien Thomas (2) , Feng Zhang (3) , Guangshan Zhu , Valentin Valtchev (2) , Svetlana Mintova (2)

1 Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center [Columbia]
2 LCS - Laboratoire catalyse et spectrochimie
3 G-SCOP_CPP - Conception Produit Process

The stabilization of copper clusters in nanosized metal organic framework crystals, Cu-Y(BTC), was achieved by a solvent-exchange approach, followed by hydrogen reduction. The formation of copper clusters in the Y(BTC) nanocrystals generated during the hydrogen reduction process was followed by UV-vis spectroscopy. The Cu-Y(BTC) nanocrystals were further assembled in thin films with a thickness of 250 nm. The distribution and size of the copper clusters in the films were studied by CO chemisorption, followed by FT-IR spectroscopy combined with transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that the copper clusters with a mean diameter of 6 nm were homogeneously distributed and stabilized in the Cu-Y(BTC) films. Further, the Cu-Y(BTC) films were utilized for detection of single harmful gases, such as CO, chloroform, and 2-ethylthiophene, or mixtures of two compounds. The high sensitivity, selectivity, and reversibility of the Cu-Y(BTC) films toward single CO, chloroform, and 2-ethylthiophene were demonstrated. Noteworthy, the Cu-Y(BTC) films exhibited a fast response toward CO, even in the presence of chloroform and 2-ethylthiophene, which was due to the high activity and accessibility of copper clusters. The response of Cu-Y(BTC) toward 2-ethylthiophene was slower in comparison with chloroform, which was attributed to the bigger size and higher viscosity of 2-ethylthiophene.

Domaines: Chimie

Xiaoqin Zou, Jean-Michel Goupil, Sebastien Thomas, Feng Zhang, Guangshan Zhu, et al.. Detection of Harmful Gases by Copper-Containing Metal-Organic Framework Films. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012, 116 (31), pp.16593--16600. ⟨hal-01840358⟩