Fabrication of a robust MOF/aerogel composite via a covalent post-assembly method.

A covalent post-assembly strategy is developed to prepare a composite of dispersive MOF particles in an aerogel matrix. Briefly, the anhydride group-decorated MOF (UiO-66-NH2) particles covalently coupled with polyimide (PI) monomers through a one-pot amidation polymerization reaction, succeeding a process of gel-sol, freeze-drying and thermal-imidization to obtain the UiO-66-PI aerogel. The designed composite shows outstanding catalytic activity in CO2 cycloaddition and excellent adsorption capacity for dyes.