Upgrading the pore-size scale of MIL-53 from microporous to macroporous for adsorbing triethyl phosphate and reducing the fire risk of polystyrene

The combustion of polystyrene (PS) releases enormous amounts of toxic fumes and heat, which seriously affects human health and property safety. This research firstly proposes an efficiently feasible surgery to prepare a porous metal–organic framework (P-Fe-MOF) with macroporous based on the microporous MIL-53 and then uses its excellent porous structure to adsorb triethyl phosphate (TEP) as a flame retardant for PS to reduce its fire hazard. Scanning electron microscope images reveal that P-Fe-MOF has a distinct macroporous structure compared with original metal–organic framework (MOF). X-ray photoelectron spectra indicate that TEP has been successfully adsorbed into P-Fe-MOF. The combustion performance of PS composites is analyzed and the results suggest that the prepared PS composite has better flame-retardant performance than pure PS. This research presents a convenient method to fabricating a novel macroporous MOF, which provides a valuable enlightenment for broadening the application field of MOF and improving the comprehensive properties of polymers.