The adsorption performance and adsorption mechanism of ethanol on MIL-101(Cr) were investigated. MIL-101(Cr) was synthesized using a hydrothermal synthesis method

and characterized using N2 adsorption measurements

powder X-ray diffraction

and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The adsorption isotherms of ethanol and water vapor were measured by static adsorption method at different temperatures

and ethanol adsorption mechanisms on four types of adsorptive sites in MIL-101 were discussed. The isosteric heats of ethanol and water adsorption were calculated according to these isotherms. The adsorption and desorption of ethanol on MIL-101 were evaluated. Results show that adsorption capacity of MIL-101(Cr) for ethanol is up to 20.3 mmol·g-1 at 298 K

much higher than those of some traditional adsorbents. At low pressure

the adsorption capacity of MIL-101 for ethanol is higher than that for water vapor

which could be ascribed to larger dipole moment and dynamic diameter of ethanol compared to water molecule. In addition

the isosteric heat of ethanol adsorption on MIL-101 is higher than that of water vapor adsorption. At high pressure

multilayer adsorption or cage filling occurs

so the molecule with large dynamic size will fill within MOFs with less moles than that with small dynamic size due the limitation of pore volume of MOFs. As a consequence

the adsorption capacity of MIL-101 for ethanol is lower than that for water vapor because the dynamic diameter of ethanol (0.45 nm) is larger than that of water molecule (0.268 nm). The ethanol adsorption and desorption isotherms show that ethanol adsorption on MIL-101 is highly reversible.