Alcoholamine-incorporated metal-organic frameworks for enhanced environmental catalytic detoxification of nerve agent simulants

Zr-MOFs are promising catalysts for the catalytic hydrolysis of nerve agents and their simulants. However, bulk water and volatile bases are often required for hydrolysis with these MOF catalysts, preventing real-world implementation. Herein we report a feasible strategy to obtain excellent solid-phase catalytic detoxification of nerve agent simulants over a wide humidity range by introducing suitable basic buffer near the Zr6 catalytic site and the concomitant enhancement of the water absorption of the MOF. Different alcoholamine (AA) molecules were incorporating into the pores of three Zr-MOFs through a simple solvent-assisted diffusion method, respectively. The resultant MOF⊃AA achieved rapid conversion of nerve agent simulant at 40 ∼ 80 % relative humidity, which was 2.2 to 3.1 times higher than pristine MOFs, with ethanolamine showing the best enhancement effect for DMNP hydrolysis among the AAs. Water absorption isotherms revealed that AA improved the water absorption and pore hydrophilicity of MOF by binding to water through hydrogen bonding under low humidity conditions. The cycling performance, long-term storage, and the nanofabric form of MOF⊃AA were also investigated, demonstrating its potential application in self-detoxifying protective equipment. This work provides a viable solution toward the implementation of MOF materials into protective equipment for practical nerve agent detoxification.