Modeling Adsorption and Optical Properties for the Design of CO2 Photocatalytic Metal-Organic Frameworks

Four Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) were modeled (IRMOF-C-BF2, IRMOF-C-(2)-BF2, IRMOF-C'-BF2, and IRMOF-C-CH2BF2) based on IRMOF-1. A series of linkers, based on Frustrated Lewis Pairs and coumarin moieties, were attached to IRMOF-1 to obtain MOFs with photocatalytic properties. Four different linkers were used: (a) a BF2 attached to a coumarin moiety at position 3, (b) two BF2 attached to a coumarin moiety in positions 3 and 7, (c) a BF2 attached in the coumarin moiety at position 7, and (d) a CH2BF2 attached at position 3. An analysis of the adsorption properties of H-2, CO2, H2O and possible CO2 photocatalytic capabilities was performed by means of computational modeling using Density Functional Theory (DFT), Time-Dependent Density Functional (TD-DFT) methods, and periodic quantum chemical wave function approach. The results show that the proposed linkers are good enough to improve the CO2 adsorption, to hold better bulk properties, and obtain satisfactory optical properties in comparison with IRMOF-1 by itself.