The ICN2 Supramolecular Nanochemistry and Materials Group, led by Prof. ICREA Daniel Maspoch, has developed a novel method for creating and customizing aerogels, enhancing their application potential in adsorption and catalysis.
Researchers at ICN2 have made a significant breakthrough in the fabrication of aerogels. The Supramolecular Nanochemistry and Materials Group, directed by ICREA Prof. Daniel Maspoch, employed dynamic covalent chemistry for constructing modular aerogels from metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs), followed by a novel post-synthetic modification process using coordination chemistry. This dual-strategy approach not only strengthens the structural integrity of the aerogels but also allows for the fine-tuning of their physicochemical properties to optimize adsorption processes. The work has just been published in Advanced Functional Materials, with Akim Khobotov-Bakishev as its first author and Dr. Arnau Carné-Sánchez also as its corresponding author.
The innovative technique involves polymerizing Rh(II)-based MOPs with aldehydes to form robust imine-gel networks, which are then converted into aerogels with micro-, meso- and macro-porosity. Subsequently, these aerogels are functionalized with specific ligands, effectively altering their macroscopic properties, such as surface charge or hydrophobicity, making them ideal for targeted pollutant adsorption. This advancement showcases the potential of custom-designed aerogels in environmental remediation and other applications, such as catalysis and sensor technology.
The following short video by the researchers illustrates the aerogel behaviour:
Reference article:
Akim Khobotov-Bakishev, Partha Samanta, Kornel Roztocki, Jorge Albalad, Sergio Royuela, Shuhei Furukawa, Félix Zamora, Arnau Carné-Sánchez, Daniel Maspoch. Advanced Functional Materials. Post-Synthetic Modification of Aerogels Made of Covalent Cross-linked Metal-Organic Polyhedra. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202312166