Inclusion of ethanol in a nano-porous, bio-based metal organic framework

More than 15,000 types of metal–organic framework (MOF) structures have been synthesized to date. The vast majority of these structures have been synthesized by linking transition metal ions with organic linkers, which limits their potential applications due to toxicity and environmental concerns. In this study we synthesized, bio-based nano-porous crystalline MOF using γ-Cyclodextrin (γ-CD) and potassium ions by vapor diffusion process. Gamma-cyclodextrin MOF (CDMOF) crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). We hereby report inclusion complex (IC) formation between nano-porous γ-CDMOF and ethanol molecules. Ethanol, a generally recognized as safe compound and well-known antibacterial and antimicrobial compound, can be used for various industrial applications such as energy, food packaging, pharmaceuticals, gas sensing devices etc. Around ~ 20% ethanol encapsulation was observed in the CDMOF as substantiated by FTIR, TGA and differential scanning calorimetry. Observations from XRD supported the IC formation. CDMOF analyzed before and after IC formation using SEM and XRD indicated that CDMOF crystals retained the crystal structure after the complex formation. This study helps advance our understanding of ethanol-CDMOF host–guest interactions.