Elimination of Chemical Threats via Reactive Metal-Organic Frameworks

Developing next generation materials that can rapidly and selectively degrade lethal chemicals without producing toxic byproducts is of the utmost importance. Although emerging materials such as carbon nanotubes, polymers, and those composites have demonstrated promising features such as reactivity and selective permeability, those materials still require significant improvements in their performance. Here, we propose to design and synthesize Zr-based MOFs decorated with active functional groups that can detoxify sulfur mustard gas (HD) and its simulant via selective oxidation under solvent-free conditions in the dark. The effect of functional groups as well as pore sizes of the functionalized MOFs on their reactivity will be systematically studied. This knowledge will guide us to design highly efficient materials that can be utilized for chemical and biological protection and decontamination.