Benign Synthesis and Modification of a Zn-Azolate Metal-Organic Framework for Enhanced Ammonia Uptake and Catalytic Hydrolysis of an Organophosphorus Chemical

The efficient uptake or catalytic degradation of toxic chemicals is needed to provide efficient protection for both individuals and the environment. Herein, we report the benign synthesis of a Zn-azolate metal-organic framework (MOF) known as MFU-4l using ethanol (EtOH) as a solvent, which is efficient in the hydrolysis of an organophosphorus chemical warfare simulant (dimethyl-4-nitrophenyl phosphate, DMNP). Impressively, EtOH-derived MFU-4l hydrolyzed DMNP with a half-life of 0.5 h using only 6 mol % catalyst. Further postsynthetic modification of MFU-4l yielded MFU-4l-(OH), which exhibited high affinity for NH3 with a steep uptake at a lower pressure (0.1 bar) as compared to the parent material (0.22 bar). Beyond the postsynthetic diversity inherent to the MOF, the benign synthesis of the active catalyst and sorbent render MFU-4l as a promising candidate for the removal of toxic chemicals.