[T1] Powder Production

[14C-T1-02] Sustainable Synthesis of MOF/Biopolymer Macrostructures: Cellulose Nanofiber-Supported Copper Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate/Carboxymethyl Cellulose Beads

*P. K. Kimani¹, E. S. Madivoli², E. M. Gachui³, L. W. Lim⁴, C. Takai-Yamashita^1,4 (1.Department of Engineering Science, Gifu University, Japan, 2.Department of Chemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya, 3.Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Siegen, Germany, 4.Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Japan)

Keywords:Biopolymer, Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Metal-Organic Frameworks, Macroscopic Architectures

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly effective materials for environmental cleanup, but their small size limits industrial scalability. MOF-based macroscopic architectures offer a solution allowing for their practical use. This study presents a sustainable, scalable method for the in-situ growth of copper benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate (Cu-BDC) MOF on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) beads. A 2% w/v CMC solution with aniline and 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2BDC) was dropped into a copper nitrate solution. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were also added to this CMC solution to assess their effects. The resulting beads, sized 1.87±0.16 mm, featured gyrification-like folds with 488.78±1.19 nm Cu-BDC spherical protrusions. Aniline was crucial in forming the folds and spherical protrusions. The presence of CNFs enhanced the beads' mechanical and thermal strength, although higher concentrations of CNFs (>1%) hindered the growth of MOFs. This method offers a viable pathway for scaling MOFs for practical industrial applications.