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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Liquid metal interface enables glassy MOF membranes with defect-mediated CO₂ transport
Nature communications, Vol.16(1), pp.1-10
28/10/2025
PMID: 41152270
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Abstract
Glassy metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) combine structural disorder with thermal processability, yet their use as membranes has been hindered by difficulties in fabricating thin, continuous and defect-free films. Here we show a float glass-inspired strategy in which liquid gallium guides the vitrification of ZIF-62 into freestanding glassy MOF membranes. By matching surface energy between melt and bath, dewetting is suppressed, enabling uniform membranes with tunable thickness. In pure glassy MOF membranes, uncoordinated nitrogen sites generated during melting enhance CO₂ diffusion, experimentally validating a sorption-assisted transport mechanism. Post-synthetic methylation of these sites reverses CO₂/H₂ selectivity and raises activation energy. We further identify a glassy impurity phase of ZIF with zni topology that emerges under specific conditions, diminishing CO₂ uptake and membrane performance. These results establish how interfacial control and defect engineering together enable high-performance glassy MOF membranes and provide an experimental foundation for probing structure-transport relationships in disordered porous materials.
Details
- Title
- Liquid metal interface enables glassy MOF membranes with defect-mediated CO₂ transport
- Creators
- Xiaoheng Jin - CSIRO ManufacturingXing Wu - CSIRO ManufacturingDerrick Ng - CSIRO ManufacturingAaron W Thornton - CSIRO ManufacturingDurga Acharya - CSIRO ManufacturingHuanting Wang - Monash UniversityZongli Xie - CSIRO Manufacturing
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Vol.16(1), pp.1-10
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group; BERLIN
- Grant note
- CSIRO Manufacturing
This work was supported by CSIRO Manufacturing (internal funding to Z.X.). The authors acknowledge the Materials Characterisation Group of CSIRO Manufacturing, with special thanks to Dr Jo Cosgriff for NMR training, Dr Aaron Seeber and Dr Sherman Wong for XRD analysis, Dr Malisja de Vries and Mr. Mark Greaves for SEM training, and Dr Yesim Gozukara for DSC training. X.J. acknowledges helpful discussions with Dr Hamidreza Mahdavi (Monash University). The authors also thank A/Prof. Farshid Pahlevani (University of New South Wales) for high temperature characterisation.
- Identifiers
- 991013324427902368
- Copyright
- © Crown 2025.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article