Microporous Mo-UiO-66 Metal–Organic Framework Nanoparticles as Gas Adsorbents

Mo-UiO-66 would exhibit favorable characteristics for application as a gas adsorbent if its surface area exceeded 1000 m2/g, particle size was less than 100 nm, and pores were comparable to gas molecules of less than 2 nm. In this work, it was possible to increase the Mo content while reducing the resulting Mo-UiO-66 particles down to a nanometer scale by a solvothermal procedure. In the development of microporous Mo-UiO-66 nanoparticles, an excess Mo content of 40 at. % was required. Excess Mo concentration inhibited the growth of metal precursors from their primary units into fully grown crystalline particles. The microporous Mo-UiO-66 nanoparticles obtained from the procedure were octahedron crystals with a size of about 80 nm and a large surface area of 1158 m2/g.