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Anhydrous proton conduction at 150 °C in a crystalline metal–organic framework

Nature Chemistry volume 1, pages 705–710 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are particularly exciting materials that couple porosity, diversity and crystallinity. But although they have been investigated for a wide range of applications, MOF chemistry focuses almost exclusively on properties intrinsic to the empty frameworks; the use of guest molecules to control functions has been essentially unexamined. Here we report Na3(2,4,6-trihydroxy-1,3,5-benzenetrisulfonate) (named β-PCMOF2), a MOF that conducts protons in regular one-dimensional pores lined with sulfonate groups. Proton conduction in β-PCMOF2 was modulated by the controlled loading of 1H-1,2,4-triazole (Tz) guests within the pores and reached 5 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 150 °C in anhydrous H2, as confirmed by electrical measurements in H2 and D2, and by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. To confirm its potential as a gas separator membrane, the partially loaded MOF (β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.45) was also incorporated into a H2/air membrane electrode assembly. The resulting membrane proved to be gas tight, and gave an open circuit voltage of 1.18 V at 100 °C.

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Figure 1: Single-crystal X-ray structure of β-PCMOF2.
Figure 2: Comparison between the simulated and experimental powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns for β-PCMOF2.
Figure 3: Comparison of the Arrhenius plots of β-PCMOF2, [β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.3], [β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.45], and [β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.6] measured in anhydrous H2 atmospheres (data from the second heating cycles is shown to remove hydration).
Figure 4: a.c. impedance plots of as-pressed pellets of β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.3 at 90 °C in dry H2 and D2.
Figure 5: Open-circuit voltage measurements performed over time at different temperatures, using the following electrochemical cell: H2, Pt,C|β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.45|Pt,C, air.
Figure 6: Comparison of β-PCMOF2(Tz)0.3 with other proton-conducting materials.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Western Canada Fuel Cell Initiative, Alberta Energy Research Institute, University Technologies International, Southern Alberta Intellectual Property Alliance, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 1N4, Alberta, Canada

    Jeff A. Hurd, Ramanathan Vaidhyanathan, Venkataraman Thangadurai & George K. H. Shimizu

  2. Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, National Research Council, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1A 0R6, Ontario, Canada

    Christopher I. Ratcliffe & Igor L. Moudrakovski

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Contributions

J.A.H. designed experiments, performed synthesis, characterization and property studies. R.V. grew crystals, performed crystallography and SEM/EDX. V.T. designed impedance and membrane electrode assembly experiments. C.I.R. and I.L.M. designed and performed solid state NMR experiments. G.K.H.S. conceived the project and drafted the manuscript. All authors discussed results and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to George K. H. Shimizu.

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Crystallographic information for the metal–organic framework β-PCMOF2 (CIF 17 kb)

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Hurd, J., Vaidhyanathan, R., Thangadurai, V. et al. Anhydrous proton conduction at 150 °C in a crystalline metal–organic framework. Nature Chem 1, 705–710 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.402

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