Recent progress on customizable multi-dimensional carbon-supported metal–organic frameworks (Cx/MOFs) composites for efficient adsorption of gases and vapors

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a novel adsorbent with ultra-high porosity, customizable pore size and chemistry, have gained wide attentions for adsorbing and separating gases and vapors. However, some parent MOFs are usually unsatisfied when facing the complex environmental conditions, such as humidity, gas/vapor mixtures. To break these dilemmas, multi-dimensional carbon, 1D carbon nanotube (CNT), 2D graphene (GR), 3D porous carbon (PC), supported MOFs composites (C_x/MOFs, x termed as the dimension of carbon) have been developed. In this review, the types and synthetic strategies of C_x/MOFs are distinguished and classified based on the dimension and function of C_x, respectively, and the assessment methods are also put forward to identify the compounds or composites. Due to the synthetic effect between C_x and MOFs, the resulted C_x/MOFs composites not only enhanced the water stability of pristine MOFs, but also regenerated additional characteristics like customized pores around interfaces, which further improved the adsorption and separation abilities for gases and vapors, such as greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄), fuel gases (CH₄, H₂), toxic gases and vapors (SO₂, H₂S, NH₃ and various condensative volatile organic compounds (VOCs)). In addition, the future prospects in the fields of adsorption and separation on C_x/MOFs are emphasized and pictured.