Magnetic Induction Heating-Driven Flow Chemistry Enabling Uniform and Continuous Growth of Metal–Organic Frameworks in Confined Microchannels of Wood

Abstract

Due to substantial mass transfer resistance and a lack of control over the solvothermal condition in the confined microchannels of wood, in situ growth of metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) in bulky wood is severely suppressed by existing synthetic approaches. This limitation results in the production of MOF-impregnated wood (MOF@wood) with uneven MOF distributions and extremely low MOF loadings, thereby significantly restricting their adsorption-associated applications. To address these challenges, a magnetic induction heating-driven flow chemistry (MHFC) strategy is developed for the synthesis of MOF@wood composites. In MHFC, the synergistic integration of both flow chemistry and localized magnetic induction heating (LMIH) chemistry effectively overcomes the mass transfer resistance of MOF mother liquors and encourages selective growth of MOF crystals in the confined microchannels of wood, regardless of wood length. In comparison to traditional synthetic strategies, MOF@wood produced using MHFC demonstrates vastly improved MOF distributions and up to around 4 times higher MOF loadings, exceptional LMIH capability, and well-defined shapes. Notably, the formation of free MOF crystals as side products in the effluent is significantly suppressed. Taking HKUST-1@wood as an example, the resulting composites exhibit a CO 2 adsorption capacity of up to 45.4 cm 3 g −1 at 298 K and a regeneration efficiency of 100% driven by LMIH, underscoring the tremendous potentials of MOF@wood in adsorption-associated applications. Therefore, MHFC not only presents an all-encompassing solution to the challenges posed by existing strategies for MOF@wood synthesis but also showcases a promising approach to significantly enhance the in situ growth of functional materials within the confined spaces of large host structures.