Metal-Organic Framework Wears a Protective Cover for Improved Stability

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with an ordered channel and porosity show great promise for a myriad of purposes. Unfortunately, the coordination bond of metal ions and organic ligands easily weakens in unfavorable environments, which poses a key problem in expanding the application of MOFs. Herein, we report a general and efficient strategy to enhance the stability and preserve the porosity of MOFs by coating them with reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The prepared hybrid material consisted of MOFs and rGO, as the core and the protective shell, respectively. It is worth noting that the obtained MOFs@rGO composite material maintained a well-defined crystal structure and showed good catalytic activity as well as enhanced stability. Notably, this novel and general method of coating MOFs with a thin protective rGO shell will broaden the application fields of MOFs and open up a new avenue for the research of MOFs.