Improving water stability of metal–organic frameworks by a general surface hydrophobic polymerization

Abstract

Water and moisture stability have been recognized as one of the most important characteristics of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in regards to their future applications. Nonetheless, most MOFs are water-labile to some degree. One promising solution for the collapse of MOFs toward water is surface hydrophobic modification. Herein, a facile, mild, and general one-step surface polymerization approach has been developed to coat the exterior surface of MOF particles with a thin polymer layer. Remarkably, the hydrophobic layer not only endows water stability of MOFs without significantly disturbing their pore features but also enables the resultant MOFs to retain high catalytic performance for diverse reactions in water.