Abstract:
Climate change remains one of the most critical global
challenges, largely driven by the rise in atmospheric CO2 levels. Effective
strategies for capturing and utilizing CO2 are crucial to mitigate its
environmental impact. Metal−organic frameworks (MOFs), particularly
HKUST-1 (MOF-199), are promising materials due to their high surface
area, porosity, and tunable properties. In this study, HKUST-1 was
successfully immobilized on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tracketched membranes, leveraging the membranes’ well-defined porosity and
chemical stability. Membrane characterization via SEM revealed uniform
coverage of octahedral HKUST-1 crystals with sizes ranging from 0.15
μm (inside the pores) to 1.5−5 μm (on the surface of the membrane).
BET analysis of the PET TeMs-HKUST-1 composite membrane
indicated a specific surface area of up to 382 m2
/g. XRD confirmed
the crystallinity of the HKUST-1 structure. The composite membranes exhibited CO2 sorption capabilities, with an adsorption
capacity of 0.53 ± 0.03 mmol/g (after 1 h of adsorption) in the first cycle for the solvothermal method and 0.31 ± 0.02 mmol/g
(after 1 h of adsorption) for the solvoshaker method. Durability tests demonstrated a stable performance over 12 adsorption−
desorption cycles. These results highlight the potential of PET TeMs-HKUST-1 composite membranes for scalable and efficient
CO2 capture, contributing to the development of sustainable solutions for addressing climate change.
