Improving predictions of gas adsorption in metal-organic frameworks with coordinatively unsaturated metal sites: Model potentials, ab initio parameterization, and gcmc simulations

Linjiang Chen, Carole A. Morrison, Tina Düren

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

105 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

The incorporation of coordinatively unsaturated metal sites (cus's), also known as open metal sites, into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), significantly enhances the uptake of certain gases, such as CO 2 and CH 4, especially at low loadings when fluid-framework interactions play the predominant role. However, due to the considerably enhanced, localized guest interactions with the cus's, it remains a challenge to predict correctly adsorption isotherms and mechanisms in MOFs with cus's using grand-canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations based on generic classical force fields. To address this problem, we carefully investigated several well-established semiempirical model potentials and used a multiobjective genetic algorithm to parametrize them using accurate ab initio data as reference. The Carra-Konowalow potential, a modified Buckingham potential, in combination with the MMSV potential for the cus's gives not only adsorption isotherms in very good agreement with experiments but also correctly captures the adsorption mechanisms, including adsorption on the cus's, for CO 2 in CPO-27-Mg and CH 4 in CuBTC. Moreover, the parameters obtained also give quantitative predictions of CH 4 adsorption in PCN-14, another MOF with Cu cus's, which is an important step for developing transferable force fields that reliably predict adsorption in MOFs with cus's.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)18899-18909
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry C
Volume116
Issue number35
Early online date14 Aug 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Sept 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • General Energy

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