Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (Dec 2024)

Synthesis of millimeter-scale ZIF-8 single crystals and their reversible crystal structure changes

  • Azhar Alowasheeir,
  • Nagy L. Torad,
  • Toru Asahi,
  • Saad M. Alshehri,
  • Tansir Ahamad,
  • Yoshio Bando,
  • Miharu Eguchi,
  • Yusuke Yamauchi,
  • Yukana Terasawa,
  • Minsu Han

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/14686996.2023.2292485
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 1

Abstract

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ABSTRACTAmong various metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), the zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF), constructed by the regular arrangement of 2-methylimidazole and metal ions, has garnered significant attention due to its distinctive crystals and pore structures. Variations in the sizes and shapes of ZIF crystals have been reported by changing the synthesis parameters, such as the molar ratios of organic ligands to metal ions, choice of solvents, and temperatures. Nonetheless, the giant ZIF-8 single crystals beyond the typical range have rarely been reported. Herein, we present the synthesis of millimeter-scale single crystal ZIF-8 using the solvothermal method in N,N-diethylformamide. The resulting 1-mm single crystal is carefully characterized through N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, and other analytical techniques. Additionally, single-crystal X-ray diffraction is employed to comprehensively investigate the framework’s mobility at various temperatures.

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