A Study of the Effect of Reaction Time on the Preparation of Zirconium Based UiO-66 MOF

UiO-66 is a zirconium-based metal organic framework (MOF). It was synthesized and used by researchers due to its high water, chemical and thermal stability. The mentioned reasons in addition to other excellent properties made them a highly competitive materials for a variety of industrial problems. This study investigates the effect of the reaction time on the characteristics of the prepared UiO-66 nanoparticles. UiO-66 was synthesized by the solvothermal method and the reaction was left to take place for 18, 21 and 24 hours. UiO-66 was characterized using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR), the results showed that it has the same patterns and functional groups of the previously reported UiO-66. In addition, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm the morphology of UiO-66. The smallest particle size around 200 nm was obtained at 18 hours. To investigate the thermal stability of the prepared UiO-66, Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) was conducted. The results matched well with the literature and confirm that UiO-66 is thermally stable up to 500°C.