Adsorbent-assisted stabilization of highly reactive gases

Abstract

A method of adsorbing a highly reactive gas onto an adsorbent material comprising adsorbing the highly reactive gas to the adsorbent material. The absorbent material comprises at least one Lewis basic functional group, or pores of a size to hold a single molecule of the highly reactive gas, or inert moieties which are provided to the adsorbent material at the same time at the same time as the highly reactive gas, prior to adsorbing the highly reactive gas or after adsorbing the highly reactive gas, or the highly reactive gas reacts with moieties of the adsorbent material resulting in passivation of the adsorbent material. A rate of decomposition of the adsorbed highly reactive gas is lower than a rate of decomposition for the neat gas at equal volumetric loadings and equal temperatures for both the adsorbed highly reactive gas and the neat gas.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of adsorbing a highly reactive gas onto a metal-organic framework (MOF) comprising:
 providing the highly reactive gas to the MOF, wherein the gas and the MOF form a labile Lewis acid-base adduct which lowers a rate of decomposition of the highly reactive gas relative to a rate of decomposition of the neat highly reactive gas at the same temperature and same volumetric loadings.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the highly reactive gas acts as an electron donor Lewis base. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the Lewis base is a heterocyclic molecule selected from 5 or 6 member rings having 1-3 non-carbon atoms. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the highly reactive gas acts as an electron acceptor Lewis acid. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adsorbed highly reactive gas is arsine (AsH 3 ), stibine (SbH 3 ), phosphine (PH 3 ), borane (BH 3 ), diborane (B 2 H 6 ), halides, germane, digermane, silane, disilane, hydrazine or nitrogen trifluoride. 
     
     
         6 . A method of adsorbing a highly reactive gas onto a metal-organic framework (MOF) comprising:
 providing the highly reactive gas to the MOF, wherein, the pores of the MOF are sized to hold one molecule of the highly reactive gas.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the adsorbed highly reactive gas is arsine (AsH 3 ), stibine (SbH 3 ), phosphine (PH 3 ), borane (BH 3 ), diborane (B 2 H 6 ), halides, germane, digermane, silane, disilane, hydrazine or nitrogen trifluoride. 
     
     
         8 . A method of adsorbing a highly reactive gas onto a metal-organic framework (MOF) comprising:
 reacting a fluid different from the highly reactive gas with the adsorbent material, wherein the fluid passivates the adsorbent such that a rate of decomposition of the reactive adsorbed gas is lower than a rate of decomposition for the neat gas at equal volumetric loadings and equal temperatures for both adsorbed gas and neat gas; and   adsorbing the highly reactive gas to the MOF.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising removing byproducts formed by the reaction of the fluid with the MOF prior to adsorbing the highly reactive gas to the MOF. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising raising at least one of temperature or pressure to accelerate passivation of the MOF. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the fluid comprises a strong oxidizer or a reducing agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the oxidizer comprises oxygen, chlorine, fluorine, or hydrogen peroxide; and the reducing agent comprises hydrogen, ammonia or sulfur dioxide.   
     
     
         13 . A method of adsorbing a highly reactive gas onto an adsorbent material comprising:
 adsorbing a highly reactive gas to the adsorbent material; and   adsorbing inert moieties to the absorbent material at the same time as the highly reactive gas, prior to adsorbing the highly reactive gas or after adsorbing the highly reactive gas,   wherein a rate of decomposition of the adsorbed highly reactive gas is lower than a rate of decomposition for the neat gas at equal volumetric loadings and equal temperature for both the adsorbed highly reactive gas and neat gas.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the adsorbent material comprises a MOF, a porous carbon, a POP, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the highly reactive gas is arsine (AsH 3 ), borane (BH 3 ), diborane (B 2 H 6 ), phosphine (PH 3 ), stibine (SbH 3 ), halide, germane, digermane, silane, disilane, hydrazine, or nitrogen trifluoride. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the inert moieties do not chemically react with the highly reactive gas. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the inert moieties comprise helium, nitrogen, aliphatic alkanes that comprise only of carbon and hydrogen atoms, aromatic rings that comprise only of carbon and hydrogen atoms, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the highly reactive gas is diborane.