Novel two-dimensional, metal organic hybrids efficiently conduct charge, eventually storing renewable energy
Scientists have long searched for the next generation of materials that can catalyze a revolution in renewable energy harvesting and storage.
One candidate appears to be metal-organic frameworks. Scientists have used these very small, flexible, ultra-thin, super-porous crystalline structures to do everything from capturing and converting carbon into fuels to storing hydrogen and other gases. Their biggest drawback has been their lack of conductivity.
Now, according to USC scientists, it turns out that metal-organic frameworks can conduct electricity in the same way metals do.
This finding opens the door for metal organic-frameworks to one day efficiently store renewable energy at a very large, almost unthinkable scale.
“For the first time ever, we have demonstrated a metal-organic framework that exhibits conductivity like that of a metal. The natural porosity of the metal-organic framework makes it ideal for reducing the mass of material, allowing for lighter, more compact devices” said Brent Melot, assistant professor of chemistry at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
“Metallic conductivity in tandem with other catalytic properties would add to its potential for renewable energy production and storage,” said Smaranda Marinescu, assistant professor of chemistry at USC Dornsife.
Their findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
An emerging catalyst for long-term renewable energy storage
Metal-organic frameworks are so porous that they are well-suited for absorbing and storing gases like hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Their storage is highly concentrated: 1 gram of surface area provides the equivalent of thousands of square feet in storage.
Solar has not yet been maximized as an energy source. The earth receives more energy from one hour of sunlight than is consumed in one year by the entire planet, but there is currently no way to use this energy because there is no way to conserve all of it. This intermittency is intrinsic to nearly all renewable power sources, making it impossible to harvest and store energy unless, say, the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.
If scientists and industries could one day regularly reproduce the capability demonstrated by Marinescu, it would go a long way to reducing intermittency, allowing us to finally make solar energy an enduring and more permanent resource.
Metal or semiconductor: Why not both?
Metal-organic frameworks are two-dimensional structures that contain cobalt, sulfur and carbon atoms. In many ways, they very broadly resemble something like graphene, which is also a very thin layer of two-dimensional, transparent material.
As temperature goes down, metals become more conductive. Conversely, as the temperature goes up, it is semiconductors that become more conductive.
In the experiments run by Marinescu’s group, the researchers used a cobalt-based metal-organic framework that mimicked the conductivity of both a metal and semiconductor at different temperatures. The metal-organic framework designed by the scientists demonstrated its greatest conductivity at both very low and very high temperatures.
Learn more: A new miniature solution for storing renewable energy
The Latest on: Metal-organic frameworks
[google_news title=”” keyword=”metal-organic frameworks” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
- Adavosertib-encapsulated metal-organic frameworks for p53-mutated gallbladder cancer treatment via synthetic lethalityon March 13, 2024 at 5:01 pm
The characterization of SL genetic interactions with tumor-specific mutations can be used to develop a conceptual framework for tackling ... Zr-MOF was used as the organic backbone for sonodynamic ...
- Scientists design bifunctional catalyst to solve environmental pollution problemson March 11, 2024 at 10:34 am
A team of researchers from Bohai University in China have designed and synthesized a bifunctional catalyst that can solve the environmental pollution caused by mustard gas and phenolic compounds. They ...
- OSU makes ‘key advance’ to remove pesticides from groundwateron March 9, 2024 at 7:45 am
An international team of scientists, led by an Oregon State University researcher, made a key step towards removing harmful pesticides from groundwater.
- New Metal-Organic Framework Can Completely Remove Dangerous Weedkiller From Groundwateron March 7, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science led an international team that identified a material known as a metal-organic framework, or MOF, that showed an ability to completely remove, and also ...
- Metal-Organic Nanoparticles Enable Better Vaccine Delivery, Stronger Immune Responseon March 6, 2024 at 8:01 pm
Study shows metal organic framework nanoparticles can both deliver vaccines and act as an adjuvant to generate a strong immune response.
- Metal organic frameworks enhance immune response in experimental vaccineon March 6, 2024 at 11:00 am
A team of MIT researchers has now shown that a type of nanoparticle called a metal organic framework (MOF) can also provoke a strong immune response, by activating the innate immune system -; the body ...
- Metal-organic framework nanoparticles make vaccines more powerfulon March 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm
A team of MIT researchers has now shown that a type of nanoparticle called a metal organic framework (MOF) can also provoke a strong immune response, by activating the innate immune system — the ...
- Study shows 3D-covalent organic frameworks can be tuned using structural isomerson March 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm
Porous solids are abundant in the world. Examples include activated carbon, zeolite, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Solid electrolytes in next-generation batteries have ion migration channels ...
- News tagged with metal-organic frameworkson March 5, 2024 at 4:00 pm
In addition, Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been used to make catalysts with good electrocatalytic capabilities. ... Porous solids are abundant in the world. Examples include activated ...
- Improving lithium-sulfur batteries with metal-organic framework-based materialson February 27, 2024 at 1:15 pm
Advanced sulfur cathodes made out of metal-organic frameworks could be the solution. Metal-organic frameworks are typically made up of a metal ion/cluster and have unique properties such as high ...
via Google News and Bing News