Sol-Gel Synthesis of Robust Metal-Organic Frameworks for Nanoparticle Encapsulation

A new type of composite material involving the in situ immobilization of tin oxide nanoparticles (SnO2-NPs) within a monolithic metal-organic framework (MOF), the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-8 is presented. SnO2@(mono)ZIF-8 exploits the mechanical properties, structural resilience, and high density of a monolithic MOF, while leveraging the photocatalytic action of the nanoparticles. The composite displays outstanding photocatalytic properties and represents a critical advance in the field of treating toxic effluents and is a vital validation for commercial application. Crucially, full retention of catalytic activity is observed after ten catalytic cycles.