Synthesis and hydrogen-storage performance of interpenetrated MOF-5/MWCNTs hybrid composite with high mesoporosity

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibiting high surface area and tunable pore size own broad application prospects. Compared with existing MOFs, MOF-5 [Zn4O(bdc)3] is a promising hydrogen storage material due to high H2 uptake capacity and thermostability. However, further wider applications of MOF-5 have been limited because atmospheric moisture levels cause MOF-5 instability. MOF-5 and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) hybrid composite (denoted MOFMC) can enhance stability toward ambient moisture and improve hydrogen storage capacity. In this paper, the MOFMC, which has an interpenetrated structure with high mesoporosity, was synthesized. The MOFMC is denoted as Int-MOFMC-meso. It stored 2.02 wt% H2 at 77 K under 1 bar, which is higher than the MOF-5 with similar structure and the earlier reported MOFMC material. Moreover, the Int-MOFMC-meso can also show more excellent performance of thermostability and moisture stability than the MOF-5 with similar structure.