Investigation of Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks in Catalysis

MOF as catalysis is paid much attention due to its high pore volume and surface area which allow the facile access of substrates to the catalytically active sites. Also these unsaturated metal sites create opportunities in adsorptive application. The removal  of s-compound from fossil fuels remains an important topic because of the air pollution and strict regulations imposed by government. Therefore, MOF as a potential catalyst and adsorbent is applied in desulfurization technology.

New stable MOF materials, based on high valent cations (Zr, Hf, Ti, ..) will be explored as selective adsorbents and as catalysts for oxidation reactions. Work will rely on several reported materials, but will be extended towards new materials that have been recently discovered at the Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis. Target compounds include initially S-heterocyclic compounds, which will be removed from hydrocarbon backgrounds by selective adsorption. Moreover, it will be investigated whether these compounds can be catalytically oxidized to sulfoxides or sulphones, which are more easily removed from the hydrocarbon background. Particular attention is given to the stability and the recycleability of the MOF materials.