Issue 24, 2023

Soft seed-mediated dimensional control of metal–organic framework nanocrystals through oil-in-water microemulsions

Abstract

Metal–organic framework (MOF) nanocrystals with high surface area and morphological tunability have shown great potential for a wide range of industrial applications when compared with their bulk counterparts. However, achieving environment-friendly synthesis of MOF nanocrystals with minimal use of hazardous chemicals and low energy consumption remains a significant challenge. Herein, we developed a soft seed-mediated approach to synthesise nanocrystals of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) in water without any assistance of chemical additives such as surfactants and organic solvents. An oil-in-water microemulsion, made from a trace amount of oil with water, was introduced to the reaction medium as the soft seed, and precise size control of ZIF-8 crystals from nanometres to micrometres was enabled by varying the volume of the oil-in-water microemulsion. Scanning electron microscopy and cryo-transmission electron microscopy analyses of the reaction intermediates revealed that the surface of the oil-in-water microemulsion functions as a nucleation site for ZIF-8 crystals, which dissipates over time. Furthermore, aromatic compounds with different numbers and lengths of alkyl chains for the oil phase were used to examine the chemical effect of the oil-in-water microemulsion on ZIF-8 crystal size, which led to fine-size control of ZIF-8 nanocrystals. Our microemulsion-induced synthesis could also be used to dimensionally control ZIF-67 crystals as well as ZIF-derived hollow nanostructures. ZIF-8 nanocrystals in our work exhibited enhanced catalytic activity for Knoevenagel condensation and dye adsorptivity with methyl orange and rhodamine B. We anticipate that our soft seed-mediated method will help improve the efficiency of MOF nanocrystal production for industrial applications.

Graphical abstract: Soft seed-mediated dimensional control of metal–organic framework nanocrystals through oil-in-water microemulsions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
09 Aug 2023
Accepted
30 Sep 2023
First published
05 Oct 2023

Inorg. Chem. Front., 2023,10, 7146-7154

Soft seed-mediated dimensional control of metal–organic framework nanocrystals through oil-in-water microemulsions

J. Lee, S. Park, S. Woo, C. Bae, Y. Jeon, M. Gu, J. Kim, Y. Kim, S. Y. Nam, J. H. Jung and J. Kim, Inorg. Chem. Front., 2023, 10, 7146 DOI: 10.1039/D3QI01567J

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