Visible light-triggered desorption of CO2 in green coordination polymers

Efficient, facile, and energy-efficient desorption processes are highly sought after in industrial processes. Visible light exists all around us and can be considered a ubiquitous energy source that can be used to drive photothermal processes such as the release of guest molecules from porous sorbents. Herein, we present four sustainably synthesized porous coordination polymers, M(dhbq)(H2O)2 (where dhbq = 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, and M = Fe, Mg, Mn, or Zn) with visible light photoresponsive properties. Efficient desorption of CO2 corresponding to up to 47.6 % of the total uptake capacity was achieved upon visible light irradiation for 10 min. A negligible decrease (< 97 %) in CO2 uptake was observed for up to 10 light-swing adsorption cycles and working capacities of up to 37.5 g kg- were obtained in Fe(dhbq). M(dhbq) possess highly desirable properties that make them interesting for applications related to cost-effective and energy-efficient desorption processes.