Formation of a nanohybrid composite between mesostructured cellular silica foam and microporous copper trimesate

A metal-organic framework HKUST-1 or Cu3(BTC)2 was synthesized in mesopores of a COOH functionalized mesostructured cellular silica foam (MCF(M)-COOH), resulting in a hydrophobic nanocomposite. The Cu3(BTC)2 formed in the MCF(M)-COOH has been prepared by a microwave method with sequential incorporation of copper nitrate and 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid in a water/ethanol mixture containing the MCF(M)-COOH. The nanocomposite was characterized by XRD, BET, FT-IR, TEM and solid state 13C NMR. The nanocomposite had a higher hydrophobic property than pure Cu3(BTC)2 and MCF(M)-COOH as a result of their hybridization. Moreover, the formation of the nanocomposite increased the sorption rate of cyclohexane vapor as compared with those of pure Cu3(BTC)2 and MCF(M)-COOH due to the increased hydrophobicity.

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► A metal-organic framework HKUST-1 or Cu3(BTC)2 was synthesized in the pores of mesoporous silica.
► It has a higher hydrophobic property than pure Cu3(BTC)2 and MCF because of the hybridization of MCF with Cu3(BTC)2.
► The systematic pathways of successive hybridization between nanoscale Cu3(BTC)2 and MCF have been discussed.