In Situ Expanding Pores of Dodecahedron-like Carbon Frameworks Derived from MOFs for Enhanced Capacitive Deionization

The pores of dodecahedron-like carbon frameworks derived from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were in situ expanded via a surfactant-template strategy, which were originally demonstrated to enhance capacitive deionization (CDI). The dodecahedron-like carbon frameworks were obtained through carbonization of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) using the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a supramolecular template. It is found that the dodecahedron-like carbon frameworks derived from ZIF-8 possess efficiently expanded pores while retaining the original morphology and high nitrogen contents. Compared to those of the normal ZIF-8-derived carbon, the obtained materials exhibit a hierarchically porous structure with a higher specific surface area and an improved pore volume. Electrochemical studies of the obtained electrode demonstrate that this material has a high specific capacitance and lower inner resistance. More importantly, the obtained material shows a higher salt adsorption capacity (20.05 mg/g) than the normal ZIF-8-derived carbon (13.01 mg/g). Furthermore, the obtained electrode presents a rapid salt removal rate and excellent cycling stability. The significantly enhanced deionization behavior of the obtained materials is due to the combination effect of its large accessible surface area, large pore volume, and rich nitrogen doping. The results reveal that in situ expanding pores of carbon frameworks derived from MOFs is an ideal way for constructing electrode materials with enhanced CDI performance. The present work may pave a path for the design and development of highly efficient MOF-derived electrode materials.