Electrochemically Assisted Interfacial Growth of MOF Membranes

A novel in situ growth method is demonstrated for the synthesis of continuous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) on top of membranes via electrochemically assisted interfacial growth. The resulting Cu-BTC/polyethersulfone membranes show excellent dye-removal performance from water. This membrane preparation strategy combines anodic dissolution of the metal with counter-diffusion to overcome limitations of traditional counter-diffusion and interfacial polymerization methods, bridging the gap of these two methods. In addition, the method allows precise control and real-time monitoring of the MOF synthesis. This innovative strategy is expected to significantly extend the scope of interfacial synthesis of MOFs on the surface of porous substrates for different applications.