About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Materials and Manufacturing in Low Earth Orbit (and Beyond)
|
| Presentation Title |
Towards On-Orbit Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks |
| Author(s) |
Owen Garner Ryan, Youngjun Kim, Zhou Li, Yaprak Ozbakir, Hyo Jun Min, Zahra Heussen, Clint Luna, Rachel Ormsby, Christopher Scherzer, Jessica Frick, Carlo Carraro, Roya Maboudian, Debbie Senesky |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Owen Garner Ryan |
| Abstract Scope |
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly tunable microporous materials with applications in energy storage, sensing, separation, catalysis and drug delivery due to their high specific surface areas. However, accessing large (>30 μm) MOF crystallites reliably to study structure-property interconnection (e.g. diffusion rates, chemical selectivity) remains challenging. This is largely due to buoyancy-driven convection, a gravity-induced phenomenon causing both uneven growth rates and crystallite sedimentation. To alleviate these effects, we synthesize MOFs under prolonged microgravity conditions on the International Space Station. This work presents the design of a fluidic batch reactor for the prolonged microgravity synthesis of HKUST-1, a well-studied MOF. To accommodate worst-case launch/recovery delays, product and precursor lifetimes were verified terrestrially through synthesis with incrementally aged precursors. Design parameters, including filter size and solvent chemistry, are explored to maximize yield. The design addresses challenges associated with crystallite preservation, reaction component stability, and product variability relevant to microgravity synthesis. |