Green Science Alliance Developed MOF (Metal Organic Framework) with Photocatalytic Activity

KAWANISHI-CITY, Japan, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Photocatalytic reaction can directly convert solar energy to chemical energy so that it can produce hydrogen and oxygen, by decomposing water by utilizing the sun light energy.  Therefore, research over photocatalytic reaction is becoming very active because energy and environmental problems are becoming very serious problem nowadays and demands for reducing the usage of fossil-based fuel and energy is getting stronger. If one could produce hydrogen efficiently from the sun light and water, it will be a great progress to create a hydrogen energy-based society, instead of a coal and petroleum based modern society.  

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs), also known as porous coordination polymers (PCPs), are materials composed of metal cations and organic ligands that bridge component metals. MOFs are synthesized as super-porous materials by modifying their metal and organic ligand, as well as the shape and size of pores. Pore size can be controlled in less than nm order, and MOFs possess a very large specific surface area (1000 – 9000 m2/g). Additionally, their chemical group can be tailored at the molecular level. One can obtain super-porous highly crystallized chemical compounds with high periodicity by reacting an appropriate robust organic linker and a metal cluster at appropriate position and direction. With conventional porous materials such as activated carbon, zeolite, and mesoporous silica, it was difficult to create the exact porous structure with the desired shape, pore size and specific surface area.  With MOF, one can artificially design the structure, surface area, shape and size of the pores at the molecular level, as well as creating high dimensional functional materials with complex structure.  Theoretically, MOFs can be prepared by combining numerous types of metals and organic ligands; more than 40,000 kinds of MOFs have been reported already. Because MOFs are completely new ultimate inorganic–organic hybrid porous materials, the chemical industry and academic field have recently been highly focused on them.  

Green Science Alliance has been synthesizing various types of MOFs and has been trying to apply MOFs to rechargeable batteries, fuel cell, CO2 adsorption, water vapor adsorption, metal adsorption, deodorizing, artificial photosynthesis, etc.    

This time, Dr. Tsutomu Koninata and Dr. Ryohei Mori at Green Science Alliance have developed one kind of MOF which exhibited photocatalytic activity under metal halide lamp illumination.  Methylene blue was degraded by MOF's photocatalytic activity in aqueous solution.   It is necessary to produce hydrogen efficiently with low cost, although conventional photocatalytic material such as TiO2 can only utilize ultraviolet light which is only the 3～4% portion of solar energy.  Therefore, the conversion efficiency of water to hydrogen is low with the help of solar energy.  WO3 could be good visible light response photocatalytic material, although tungsten could be expensive is not abundant element on the planet.

In this regard, MOF can be the good catalytic material to be scrutinized because the meticulous structure, surface chemical group and the pore size can be controlled by modifying the synthetic procedure.  On top of that, various types of MOF can be prepared by choosing appropriate metal and organic linker, which may result in creating MOF with visible light response type photocatalytic activity and high conversion efficiency.  

Green Science Alliance will keep making an effort to create MOFs with high photocatalytic activity which responses to visible light, for real practical application in the near future. 

Contact Information

Green Science Alliance Co.,Ltd.

Dr. Ryohei Mori

2-22-11 Obana Kawanishi-city, Hyogo prefecture

666-0015 Japan

TEL : +81-72-7598543 / 8501

FAX : +81-72-7599008

Mail : [email protected]

WEB : https://www.gsalliance.co.jp/en/

SOURCE Green Science Alliance Co., Ltd.

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