A new MOF paper sheet for air purification in cultural heritage institutions
Résumé
In recent decades, the harmful effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on cultural heritage materials in confined spaces (showcases, cabinets, storage boxes) have been investigated. Passive air filtration is considered a benchmark to avoid the contact of these vapours with the artefacts. The adsorbents generally chosen belong to the class of porous materials such as activated carbons and zeolites. However, these adsorbents are usually not selective, difficult to regenerate and can release pollutants at room temperature which calls for new adsorbents. MOFs (Metal-Organic Frameworks), a recent class of hybrid, porous crystalline materials, have been proposed recently for this application. Their highly tuneable character is of interest to develop selective sorbents for the capture of VOCs. Perfluorinated hydrophobic MOFs have shown very interesting results for the selective capture of acetic acid in the presence of moisture (CNRS patent filed in 2018) [1]. Although, these materials remain still expensive, some of us have recently proposed the use of cheaper and scalable MOFs with identical performances (CNRS patent filed in 2022). As these materials are produced in powder form, it is necessary to shape them for a practical use in Heritage institutions. Granules or beads can easily be produced, but they might release powder if their mechanical stability is not sufficient, thus requiring a careful handling and a container to hold them. We propose a new green formulation process relying on the use of a cellulose-based matrix to produce paper sheets loaded with an exceptionnal high loading of porous solids (> 70%wt), MOFs, zeolites or carbons, while retaining good mechanical properties (CNRS patent filed in 2022) [2]. The ability of the paper membranes and their capacity to capture different VOCs such as organic acids (formic, acetic and acrylic acid) and furfural was then tested. For this purpose, a set-up comprising an exposure chamber and a photoionisation detector was developed. Remarkably, the MOF composites were found to be more efficient than the activated carbon and zeolite ones, reaching a total VOC sorption capacity of over 200 mg of VOCs per gram of membrane. After capture, the amount of VOCs released by the membranes was measured using passive diffusion tubes. Unlike activated carbons or zeolite composites, the MOF membranes did not release the adsorbed pollutants during the tests, highlighting their potential for indoor air quality applic