Underlying solvent-based factors that influence permanent porosity in porous liquids

Porous liquids (PLs) offer the potential to combine the ready handling and mature industry status of liquid absorbents, with the high permanent porosity of metal organic frameworks. To be functional, these nanocomposites need to satisfy a number of performance parameters, such as stability and viscosity of the porogen-solvent combination, avoiding solvent penetration into metal organic framework (MOF) pores, suitable capacities, and kinetics for gas sorption. In this work, we systematically investigate the component materials to elucidate the parametric space where stable photoluminescence (PL) can be generated. In this situation, deeper conclusions were able to be drawn with regard to the influence of hydrophobicity/philicity on the properties of the resulting nanocomposites. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) were combined with a range of solvents varying in steric bulk, to deliver CO2 sorption capacities as high as 4.2 mmol.g(-1) at 10 bar. These findings may have broader implications for future investigations of this tantalising field of nanocomposites.

Automated summary

The research on porous liquids (PLs) as a potential nanocomposite has revealed the combination of the ease of handling liquid absorbents with the high permanent porosity of metal organic frameworks. The study investigates the component materials systematically, elucidating the parameter space for stable photoluminescence, related to gas sorption capacities and other performance parameters. This research may have broader implications for future investigations in the field of nanocomposites.