Evaporation-Induced Reticular Growth of UiO-66_NH₂ in Chitosan Films: Adsorption of Iodine

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) combined with polymers as hybrid materials offer numerous advantages such as enhanced performances through synergistic effects at their interface. The primary challenge in developing polymer/MOF hybrid matrix films is ensuring optimal dispersion and strong adhesion of crystalline MOFs to the polymer without aggregation, weak interaction, or phase separation. In this study, hierarchically porous UiO-66_NH₂/chitosan (ZrCSx-<i>f</i>) films were designed by crystallizing UiO-66_NH₂ within a chitosan (CS) skeleton. The resulting ZrCSx-<i>f</i> films displayed remarkable homogeneity with high loadings of UiO-66_NH₂ crystals, up to 45 wt %, coupled to a high adsorption capacity of iodine in gas phase, up to 317 mg.g^-1.