Insights into the Stability of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks in Humid Acidic Environments from First-Principles Calculations

Understanding the degradation mechanisms of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) is crucial to improve their chemical stability and realize their potential industrial applications. Here, we conduct a comprehensive study utilizing dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations to investigate the chemical stability of bulk ZIFs and their external surfaces under conditions of acid-gas exposure. We examine the influence of steric factors such as topology and ligand functionalization on the relative chemical stability of prototypical ZIFs (ZIF-2 and ZIF-8), including their hypothetical polymorphs. We find that defect formation is more thermodynamically and kinetically favorable at ZIF external surfaces versus the bulk, and that both topology and ligand functionalization impact defect formation. In addition, we provide a detailed mechanism for the reaction of ZIFs with sulfurous and sulfuric acids, of which the latter serves as a catalyst in potential degradation reactions of ZIFs. We also provide information about the adsorption strength of a range of acid gases to defective ZIF structures, which can inform potential strategies to regenerate ZIFs and/or achieve defect engineering in these materials.