Development of highly stable porous composite membranes for separation of greenhouse gases

Metal-organic frameworks or MOFs are a class of porous materials made of metal ions and rigid organic linkers, which are known as secondary building units or SBUs. Synthesis and study of MOFs is a very hot area of contemporary research because of their potential applications in versatile areas, like gas storage, separation, drug delivery, catalysis, etc. Despite of their high potential in different applications, most of these materials lack stability in aqueous medium. This acts a limiting factor for this highly interesting class of materials.

This project will focus on development of highly stable composite membranes using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and polymers for separation of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide. Selected water-stable MOFs will be identified and used to develop composite membranes followed by their screening for carbon dioxide capture and separation.

During this project the student will be introduced with one of the most topical area of research in chemistry, and will receive intensive training on synthesis of porous MOFs and their polymer composite. The student will also receive intensive training in handling various analytical techniques which includes (but not limited to), X-ray diffraction (PXRD, and SMX), IR, NMR, UV-Vis, TGA, BET-surface area analysis, permeability study etc. The student will be guided to interpret, communicate, and disseminate the results generated from the research project in form of publications and conferences.