1. Synthesis of MOFs
Different methods such as solvothermal, non-solvothermal, microwave, sono - chemical, ion synthesis,
mechanochemical, electrochemical and diffusion synthesis methods have been designated for the
synthesis of MOFs.
The most commonly used methods are the solvent thermal and non-solvent thermal methods
due to ease in operation. Hydrothermal synthesis which comprises the use of water as solvent is
considered the cheapest,safest and simplest method commonly employed in the synthesis of MOFs.
During the synthesis process, the solvents together with organic molecules, metal ions and other raw
materials are continuously mixed in a close apparatus at required experimental conditions (Feng et al.,
2019). The non-solvent-thermal synthesis method on the other hand requires less equipment and can be
carried out in open devices. However, these methods are not suitable for commercial applications because
they yield a considerable amount of fine powders. More recent synthesis methods including the
microwave method is reported to be highly efficient due to water resistance and thermal stability which
lead to a shorter time for MOFs’ synthesis. Another effective reported method is the sono-chemical
method with the advantages of shorter reaction time, higher yield, efficient energy used and enhanced
particle synthesis. This is mainly attributed to the use of ultrasonic waves and bubble cavitation in the
reaction process. The ion thermal synthesis method on the other hand is investigated to be very effective
attributable to the properties of ionic solvents including low melting points, wider liquid ranges,good
thermal stabilities and the ability to act as both solvent and templates.
The mechanochemical method mostly employed in situation where organic solvents need to
be avoided, the electrochemical method which comprises the reaction of an acid with a metal at mild and
controlled synthetic conditions and the diffusion synthesis method which includes: liquid phase diffusion.
gas phase diffusion and gel diffusion have also been widely explored for the synthesis of a variety of
MOFs. Nonetheless, the above reported methods have some limitations in terms of green synthesis and
environmental protection leading to the development of six principles which can be adopted for the
synthesis of better-quality MOFs. These comprise procedures:
1) employing biocompatible building blocks
(2) decreasing energy input levels
(3) enhancing the use of suitable reaction media such as water or near-critical solvents
4) using approaches to evade bulk solvents
(5) continuous production processes and
(6) the design of MOFs with advanced performances through theoretical predictions.
Electrostatic interactions:
This is the most commonly observed mechanism in the adsorptive removal of organic
pollutants from aqueous solutions. Electrostatic interaction plays a key role in adsorption processes
between the surface charges on the adsorbents and oppositely charged ions in the adsorbates. Net surface
charges encountered on the surface of MOFs either as a result of grafting with specific foreign species or
as a result of the aqueous solution’s pH, lead to protonation and deprotonation favoring excellent
electrostatic interactions between the charge MOFs and the oppositely charged adsorbent.
2. Acid-base interactions:
Acid-base interactions are not as frequent as electrostatic interaction. Nevertheless,they play a key
role in adsorption processes and have been investigated to highly improve the adsorptive performances of
MOFs regarding the removal of organic pollutants from aqueous solution. For instance, naproxen and
colibris acid were removed from aqueous solution by Hasan et a using MIL-101-Cr grafted with acidic (−
SO3H) and basic groups (− NH2).
Hydrogen bonding:
Hydrogen bonding involves the interactions between the lone pair of a highly electronegative atom
and the hydrogen atom in N–H,O–H,or F–H bond. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding is a phenomenon
where hydrogen bonds are formed between different molecules while intramolecular hydrogen bonding
occurs between different parts of a same molecule. Hydrogen bonding between MOFs and respective
adsorbates has proven to greatly boost the adsorption performances of MOFs. For example, two
aluminum-based MOFs (CAU-1 and MIL-68-Al) containing μ-OH groups in Al-O-Al units, played a
crucial role in the uptake of nitrobenzene from aqueous solution. This was attributed to excellent
hydrogen bonding between the MOF and nitrobenzene.
π–π stacking/interactions
π–π stacking is a common adsorption mechanism for the adsorption of organic pollutants from
aqueous solutions. Likewise electrostatic interactions where a surface of negative charges interacts with
opposite charges, the electron-rich π system can interact with a metal (cationic or neutral), an anion,
another molecule or another π system. For example, MIL-100-Fe, AC and MIL-101-Cr were examined
for the adsorption of bisphenol-A (BPA) from aqueous solution. After investigation, MIL-101-Cr
displayed the highest adsorption capacity attributed to favorable π–π interactions and partial hydrogen
bonding between the benzene rings of BPA and MIL-101-Cr.
Hydrophobic interactions
Hydrophobes are nonpolar substances with long carbon chains and low water solubilities.
Hydrophobic interactions are mostly observed in situations where nonpolar substances accumulate in
aqueous solutions with the exclusion of water molecules. Some MOFs are highly hydrophobic owing to
their per-fluorinated inner surfaces and are reported to increase the uptake capacities of contaminants
from aqueous solutions. For instance, high removal capacities for oil droplets in water. this was accredited
to strong hydrophobic interactions between soya beans oil and the benzene rings in Cu-BTC.