Adsorbents for CO2 capture need to demonstrate efficient release. Light-induced swing adsorption (LISA) is an attractive new method to release captured CO2 that utilizes solar energy rather than electricity. MOFs, which can be tailored for use in LISA owing to their chemical functionality, are often unstable in moist atmospheres, precluding their use. A MOF is used that can release large quantities of CO2 via LISA and is resistant to moisture across a large pH range. PCN-250 undergoes LISA, with UV flux regulating the CO2 desorption capacity. Furthermore, under UV light, the azo residues within PCN-250 have constrained, local, structural flexibility. This is dynamic, rapidly switching back to the native state. Reusability tests demonstrate a 7.3 % and 4.9 % loss in both adsorption and LISA capacity after exposure to water for five cycles. These minimal changes confirm the structural robustness of PCN-250 and its great potential for triggered release applications.

Mixed matrix membranes combining the processibility of polymers with the properties of porous nano-additives is an effective method to enhance the performance of membrane distillation (MD) process. In this work, a new type of hydrophobic hybrid PVDF hollow fiber membranes doped with aluminum fumarate metal-organic frameworks (AlFu MOF) was fabricated and their performance in direct contact membrane distillation were studied experimentally and theoretically.The results showed that the addition of MOF particles efficiently enlarged the effective porosity of membrane and increased the water flux as well as the thermal efficiency of MD process. At 1 wt% MOF loading, the effective porosity of membrane was enlarged by 52.4%, which induced 55.9% increment in overall mass transfer coefficient of the hybrid membrane, and the thermal conductivity of the membrane was decreased by 38.6%, which contributed to the reduction of sensible heat loss of MD. Correspondingly, the experimental water flux of the hybrid 1 wt% MOF/PVDF membrane was improved by 50.5% and the thermal efficiency increased by 46.2% (0.58 vs 0.31) at a feed temperature of 40°C. Moreover, the MOF/PVDF membrane exhibited stable flux and retained high salt rejection (> 99.9%) for 3.5 wt% NaCl solution over a 50 h desalination test period. Overall, this 15 study provides an insight into the positive effects of AlFu MOF additives on the enhancement of 16 membrane performance in distillation process.

Optical quality metal organic framework (MOF) thin films were integrated, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, with structured optical fiber substrates to develop MOF-fiber sensors. The MOF-fiber structure, UiO-66 (Zr-based MOF is well known for its water stability), is a thin film that acts as an effective analyte collector. This provided a Fabry-Perot sensor in which concentrations of up to 15 mM Rhodamine-B were detected via wavelength shifts in the interference spectrum.

Mechanochemistry is an emerging and reliable alternative to conventional solution (batch) synthesis of complex molecules under green and solvent-free conditions. In this regard, we report here on the conjugation of a dextran polysaccharide with a fluorescent probe, a phenylboronic acid (PBA)-functionalized boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) applying the ball milling approach. The ball milling formation of boron esters between PBA BODIPY and dextran proved to be more efficient in terms of reaction time, amount of reactants, and labelling degree compared to the corresponding solution-based synthetic route. PBA-BODIPY dextran assembles into nanoparticles of around 200 nm by hydrophobic interactions. The resulting PBA-BODIPY dextran nanoparticles retain an apolar interior as proved by pyrene fluorescence, suitable for the encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs with high biocompatibility while remaining fluorescent.