The use of zirconium propoxide (Zr(OnPr)) in place of zirconium chloride (ZrCl4) leads to an alternative synthesis route for producing high-quality crystals of UiO-66 with no generation of hydrochloric acid. This alternative procedure yields porous crystals with comparable properties to the conventional synthesis procedure, specifically, porosity, thermal stability and water resistance. We have demonstrated that UiO-66(Zr(OnPr)) crystallization is dependent on the addition of a modulator such as acetic acid. This dependence suggests that crystallization of UiO-66(Zr(OnPr)) is limited by crystal growth yielding insight for further crystallization control. The alternative procedure also allows AuNPs to be included in the mother solution in order to encapsulate them within the framework. This method lays the groundwork for the controlled synthesis of HCl-sensitive UiO-66 composites with potential for catalysis, sensing, gas storage and separation, photovoltaics, and microelectronics. Reference: Karen Tulig and Krista S. Walton. RSC Advances, 2014,4, 51080-51083.

Alternative UiO-66 synthesis for HCl-sensitive nanoparticle encapsulation

249th National Meeting (2015)

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