Polymer nanocomposites functionalised with nanocrystals of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as ethylene control agents

Ethylene (C2H4) management involves the usage of materials such as KMnO4 or processes such as ozone oxidation or combined photocatalysis/photochemistry. The ubiquity of C2H4, especially in an industrial context, necessitates a simpler and much more effective approach, and herein we propose the usage of tuneable polymer nanocomposites for the adsorption of C2H4 through the modification of the polymer matrices via the incorporation of nanocrystals of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (nano-ZIFs). We demonstrate that the inclusion of ZIF-8 and ZIF-7 nanocrystals into polymeric matrices (Matrimid and polyurethane [PU]) yields robust nanocomposites that preserve the C2H4 adsorption/desorption capacity of nanocrystals while shielding it from degrading factors. We report new insights into the adsorption/desorption kinetics of the polymer and its corresponding nanocomposites, which can be tailored by exploiting the underlying polymeric molecular interactions. Importantly, we also elucidated the retention of the intrinsic structural framework dynamics of the nano-ZIFs even when embedded within the polymeric matrix, as evidenced from the breathing and gate-opening phenomena. Our findings pave the way for bespoke designs of novel polymer nanocomposites, which will subsequently impact the deployment of tailored nanomaterials for effective industrial applications.