UiO-66-NH2/graphene oxide nanocomposites as reactive adsorbents for soman upon long-term exposure to high-humidity environment

Abstract In this study, UiO-66-NH2 and UiO-66-NH2/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites (5, 10wt% GO) were synthesized with formic acid. The nanocomposites were isostructural with UiO-66-NH2 but with larger volumes of mesopores and micropores, particularly in 5wt% GO in the composite (UiO-66-NH2/5GO). Moreover, the nanocomposites were found to be more resistant to high-humidity compared to UiO-66-NH2. UiO-66-NH2/GO nanocomposites containing 5wt% GO exhibited more than 90% degradation of soman within 10 min even after being exposed to high-humid condition for 10 days, while it was less than 70% in the case of the pure UiO-66-NH2. Furthermore, soman, adsorbed in UiO-66-NH2/5GO, was degraded to pinacolyl methylphosphonic acid (PMPA) following pseudo-first-order reaction. This work closely represents how these composites work where they are deployed to protect against the nerve agent release, implying a broad range of practical applications of UiO-66-NH2/GO nanocomposites.