Three-dimensional nanoarchitecture of carbon nanotube-interwoven metal-organic frameworks for capacitive deionization of saline water

The exploration of a new family of materials with superior performance for capacitive deionization (CDI) compared to commercial activated carbons is of significant interest. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) nanoarchitecture composed of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) interwoven by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been synthesized by utilizing CNTs to bridge the neighboring MOF nanocrystals. The resulting MOF/CNT hybrid not only shows improved electrical conductivity and 3D hierarchical structure but also retains the high porosity of MOFs. Consequently, the MOF/CNT hybrid exhibits a high desalination capacity of 16.90 mg g, highlighting the potential of noncarbonized MOF-based materials as CDI electrodes