Tuning the crystal size and morphology of the substituted imidazole material, SIM-1

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are attractive materials for liquid and gas separations. They are chemically and thermally stable and their pores sizes/pore windows can be modified for enhanced performance. Substituted imidazolate material-1 (SIM-1) is a ZIF that crystallizes in the SOD and RHO topologies. Herein, we report a variety of new syntheses for SIM-1 in the SOD and RHO topologies using solvothermal in situ and ex situ reaction methods including microwave synthesis and linker exchange that result in nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution.