Solvent-free synthesis of ZIF-8 from zinc acetate with the assistance of sodium hydroxide

The development of sustainable routes for the synthesis of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) is very important because of the wide applications of MOFs on a large scale in the fields of adsorption, separation, and catalysis. ZIF-8, a zinc-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF), was first prepared following a solvent-free method from zinc acetate and denoted as ZIF-8-DGUT. The synthesis was conducted with the addition of an appropriate amount of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) powder before fully grinding, and the synthesis was accomplished at mild temperature at 343 K for 24 h. This strategy provided a practical method for the production of ZIF materials.