Although diamine-appended metal–organic
framework (MOF)
adsorbents exhibit excellent CO2 adsorption performance,
a continuous decrease in long-term capacity during repeated wet cycles
remains a formidable challenge for practical applications. Herein,
we present the fabrication of diamine-appended Mg2(dobpdc)-alumina
beads (een-MOF/Al-Si-Cx
; een = N-ethylethylenediamine; x = number of carbon atoms attached to epoxide) coated with hydrophobic
silanes and alkyl epoxides. The reaction of epoxides with diamines
in the portal of the pore afforded sufficient hydrophobicity, hindered
the penetration of water vapor into the pores, and rendered the modified
diamines less volatile. een-MOF/Al-Si-C17-200 (een-MOF/Al-Si-C17-y
; y =
50, 100, and 200, denoting wt % of C17 with respect to the bead, respectively),
with substantial hydrophobicity, showed a significant uptake of 2.82
mmol g–1 at 40 °C and 15% CO2, relevant
to flue gas concentration, and a reduced water adsorption. The modified
beads maintained a high CO2 capacity for over 100 temperature-swing
adsorption cycles in the presence of 5% H2O and retained
CO2 separation performance in breakthrough tests under
humid conditions. This result demonstrates that the epoxide coating
provides a facile and effective method for developing promising adsorbents
with high CO2 adsorption capacity and long-term durability,
which is a required property for postcombustion applications.