Abstract
The development of advanced materials for personal protective equipment (PPE) that can safeguard individuals against harmful chemicals is of paramount importance. Specifically, creating materials to protect military personnel or first responders from chemical warfare agents (CWAs) has the potential to enable advanced, breathable filters superior to existing masks. In this context, designing PPE with combined adsorptive and catalytic functionalities remains a significant challenge for effective CWA neutralization.
The overall goal of this dissertation was to design, synthesize, and evaluate novel composites of glassy polymers and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for effective detoxification of CWAs. Our target metrics included 100% removal efficiency, 100% destruction, and half-time of less than 10 min for the Dimethyl 4-Nitrophosphonate (DMNP) simulant. Our investigation explored a basic hypothesis that composites of zirconium-based MOFs and metal hydroxides (M(OH)4) incorporated into a polymer matrix, such as polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1), that itself is adsorptive could greatly enhance the rate of CWA removal, while addressing MOF’s low detoxification rates issue. The objectives of this dissertation included:
· Objective 1. Preparation, characterization, and evaluation of M(OH)4@Polymer composites for hydrolysis of nerve agent simulants.
· Objective 2. Enhancement of DMNP hydrolysis performance of MOF/M(OH)4@Polymer composites through surface functionalization.
· Objective 3. Formulation of down-selected MOF/M(OH)4@Polymer composites into 3D-printed catalytic filters and assessment of their viability in destruction of CWA simulants.