Fine tuning of the physico-chemical properties of a MIL-53(Al) type - Mesoporous alumina composite using a facile sacrificial-template synthesis approach

Though Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF's) and MOF-derived solids have been employed in various applications, especially catalysis, there is still a constant search for better performing MOF-based hybrid catalysts. In this work, we employed sacrificial template method in synthesizing MIL-53(Al) type - porous Alumina (MA) composites that exhibit different physico-chemical and catalytic properties compared to parent solids (MIL-53 and mesoporous Al2O3). Structural investigations demonstrated that composites possess combined structure of both the parent solids. Novel composites possess hierarchical (meso- & micro-) pores, with average pore width in the range of similar to 14-16 nm. NH3 adsorption calorimetry and isopropanol test enabled deducing the possible nature and strength of acid-basic sites in composites. 'MA' composites show intermediate chemical properties and synergistic multifunctional catalytic behaviour compared to parent solids. This work reveals, for the first time, extensively tunable physico-chemical properties of a novel class of solids: the MIL-53(Al) type - porous alumina composites that can have a huge potential as multifunctional catalysts.