Synthesis of mixed ligand and pillared paddlewheel MOFs using waste polyethylene terephthalate material as sustainable ligand source

• A series of five microporous pillared-paddlewheel MOFs have been synthesized.
• Waste PET material was used instead of terephthalic acid in the synthesis.
• 100% PET consumption was achieved in all the MOFs synthesis.

A series of five isostructural pillared-paddlewheel MOFs, [M2(BDC)2(DABCO)] (1–5), (where M = Fe(II) (1), Co(II) (2), Ni(II) (3), Cu(II) (4) and Zn(II) (5); BDC = benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate; and DABCO = 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) have been synthesized by using waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material as a direct BDC source. The optimal reaction condition has been achieved for all the MOFs with 100% depolymerization of waste PET material in the reaction. The synthesized MOFs have been characterized using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analyses, and N2 gas sorption measurements. Results showed that the porous MOFs have similar properties of their corresponding literature reports.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide