Understanding the ZIF-L to ZIF-8 transformation from fundamentals to fully costed kilogram-scale production

The metal-organic framework ZIF-8 has demonstrated promise for a wide range of applications, but its synthesis typically involves methodologies that are difficult or expensive to scale up. Here the authors show how the production of nano-ZIF-8 can be conducted at the 1kg scale in an economical manner through the intermediate phase ZIF-L. The production of MOFs at large scale in a sustainable way is key if these materials are to be exploited for their promised widespread application. Much of the published literature has focused on demonstrations of preparation routes using difficult or expensive methodologies to scale. One such MOF is nano-zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) - a material of interest for a range of possible applications. Work presented here shows how the synthesis of ZIF-8 can be tracked by a range of methods including X-ray diffraction, thermo gravimetric analysis and inelastic neutron scattering - which offer the prospect of in-line monitoring of the synthesis reaction. Herein we disclose how the production of nano-ZIF-8 can be conducted at scale using the intermediate phase ZIF-L. By understanding the economics and demonstrating the production of 1 kg of nano-ZIF-8 at pilot scale we have shown how this once difficult to make material can be produced to specification in a scalable and cost-efficient fashion.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates how nano-ZIF-8 can be produced at a scale of 1kg in an economical manner using the intermediate phase ZIF-L. The successful large-scale production of this material is crucial for its widespread application in various fields.