Electrochemical Properties of Trimesic Acid-Based MOFs

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) made from Trimesic acid (TMA; common name for benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid) are typically referred to as a “trimesic acid-based MOF” or “TMA-MOF,” and it is formed by linking TMA molecules with metal ions to create a porous, crystalline structure. Selective binding of molecules is allowed due to the TMA ligand which is suitable for applications like drug delivery, gas adsorption, and catalysis. MOFs are porous structures having metal ions as active redox sites such that their enhanced surface area provides better applications in energy storage such as batteries and supercapacitors allowing rapid charge transfer kinetics. In this work, a binary Nickel Cobalt MOF and ternary Copper Nickel Cobalt MOF were synthesized using the chemical route method, and their electrochemical performance was studied using cyclic voltammetry. The specific capacitances of NiCoMOF and AgNiCo MOF as calculated using CV were 806 F g−1 and 814 F g−1, respectively, at 2 mVs−1 in 3 electrode configuration. The shape of CV curves presents redox peaks implying the pseudocapacitive nature of MOFs as a result of metallic active sites.