# Understanding and Controlling Water Stability of MOF-74

**Authors:** S. Zuluaga, E. M. A. Fuentes-Fernandez, K. Tan, F. Xu, J. Li, Y. J. Chabal, T. Thonhauser  
**arXiv:** [1604.00337](https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.00337)  
**Date:** 2016-04-01  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1604.00337v1/

## Key points

- Metal organic framework (MOF) materials, like MOF-74, have potential for technological applications
- Practical use of MOF-74 is limited due to instability under humid conditions
- Researchers investigate cause of instability and its impact on CO$_2$ uptake capacity
- Instability and reduction in CO$_2$ uptake attributed to water dissociation reaction at metal centers
- OH groups from dissociation reaction decrease CO$_2$ adsorption capacity
- Reduction in CO$_2$ uptake depends on catalytic activity of MOF-74 towards water dissociation
- Water molecules themselves have negligible effect on crystal structure of MOF-74
- OH and H products weaken MOF framework and contribute to breakdown
- Researchers propose modifying structure of MOF-74 to increase energy barrier for water dissociation
- Modification would help control stability of MOF-74 under humid conditions

## Summary

Metal organic framework (MOF) materials, such as MOF-74, have shown great potential for various technological applications. However, their practical use is limited due to their instability under humid conditions. In this study, the researchers investigate the underlying cause of this instability and its impact on the CO$_2$ uptake capacity of MOF-74. The researchers find that the instability and reduction in CO$_2$ uptake capacity of MOF-74 under humid conditions can be attributed to the water dissociation reaction H$_2$O$\rightarrow$OH+H at the metal centers. After dissociation, the OH groups coordinate to the metal centers, leading to a decrease in CO$_2$ adsorption capacity. The reduction in CO$_2$ uptake strongly depends on the catalytic activity of MOF-74 towards the water dissociation reaction. Furthermore, it is observed that while water molecules themselves have a negligible effect on the crystal structure of MOF-74, the OH and H products resulting from the dissociation reaction significantly weaken the MOF framework and contribute to its breakdown. Based on these findings, the researchers propose a strategy to suppress this particular reaction by modifying the structure of MOF-74 to increase the energy barrier for water dissociation. This modification would help control the stability of MOF-74 under humid conditions and open up possibilities for expanding their practical applications in various fields.