Construction of hydrophobic HKUST-1 in wood with Selective adsorption performance for toluene and moisture Blends

The effect of moisture on the volatile organic compound (VOC) adsorption on biomass-derived metal–organic framework composites is significant in practical applications. In this study, wood-based metal organic frameworks (MOF199-W) and hydrophobic MOF199-W (HMOF199-W) were developed using HKUST-1 (MOF199) and long alkyl chains to investigate the adsorption performance of toluene and enhance the selectivity of adsorption under high humidity conditions. The results demonstrated that HKUST-1 could be anchored onto the surface of wood vessels and fibers through coordination with Cu²⁺, resulting in an improved surface area in comparison to natural wood. The toluene adsorption capacity of MOF199-W with a 20 % loading was comparable to that of an equivalent amount of MOF199, with adsorption capacities of 323.5 mg/g and 369.9 mg/g, respectively. Further, the Yoon-Nelson model was found to adequately describe the dynamic adsorption process. Following the introduction of long alkyl chains, MOF199 and MOF199-W were endowed with strong hydrophobic character (water contact angle of 107.0^◦, 104.0^◦, and water uptake of 30.5 mL/g, 55.3 mL/g). With the increase in humidity, the adsorption performance of MOF199 and MOF199-W for toluene sharply decreased, but HMOF199 and HMOF199-W still maintained the adsorption capacities at 304.7 mg/g and 226.7 mg/g, even under 80 % RH conditions. Therefore, HMOF199-W has shown great potential in wooden building materials with the ability for toluene capture under humid conditions.