Synthesis of MOFs and Their Composite Structures through Sacrificial-Template Strategy

Exemplified by chemical conversion of ZnO nanostructures into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanostructures, a sacrificial-template method has been demonstrated for the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composite structures which may not be attainable by other methods. Their properties were investigated and the formation mechanism of ZIF-8 nanostructures was discussed. This method shows the potential of the formation of various-shaped MOFs and their composite nanostructures and will broad the applications of MOFs and their derivatives.