ZIF-8 with exceptional thermal stability: Role of organic cosolvents in phase control and structure stabilization

Fraz Saeed Butt, Allana Lewis, Fergus Dingwall, Nurul A. Mazlan, Norbert Radacsi, Xianfeng Fan, Xianfeng Chen, Yaohao Yang, Shuiqing Yang, Yi Huang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Thermal stability is one of the key factors in catalysis and high-temperature industrial applications. The thermal degradation of ZIF-8, particularly its nanocrystals, could result in a significant loss of surface area and crystallinity, limiting its large-scale applicability. In this study, ZIF-8 nanocrystals with improved thermal stability were synthesized at room temperature (RT) through a facile, one-pot method – an ultrasound-assisted, solvent-guided ZIF-8 growth. The effect of synthesis variables, including the type and concentration of solvent, ultrasonication, and synthesis time, in improving the material's thermal stability was studied systematically. The as-prepared samples were analyzed by TGA/DSC, XRD, SEM/TEM, FTIR, and BET to monitor the weight loss with temperature, sample crystallinity, crystal morphology, chemical structure, and surface area. Notably, synthesis with 5 v/v% of n-hexane (ZIF-8new-ref) demonstrated the formation of highly-crystalline ZIF-8 nanocrystals with extraordinary thermal stability (with only ∼2.0–3.0 % weight loss up to 600 °C), large surface area (i.e., 975 m2 g−1), and an excellent particle size distribution in the range of 0.2–0.4 μm. More importantly, the short synthesis time (2 h) and sonication-assisted pretreatment of the precursor (for promoting solvent-ligand interaction) proved effective and played a crucial role in controlling ZIF-8's thermal stability. The mechanism for the thermal stability enhancement was thus proposed. The highly thermally stable ZIF-8 nanocrystals were also synthesized with significantly reduced chemical usage, e.g., 1/11 of the normal ligand-to-metal ratio (70), achieving cost-effective and environmentally friendly synthesis.

Original languageEnglish
Article number101804
JournalMaterials Today Chemistry
Volume34
Early online date18 Nov 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Cosolvent-assisted synthesis
  • Cost-effective synthesis
  • Thermal stability
  • Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs)
  • ZIF-8 nanocrystals

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