Microwave-syntheses of zeolitic imidazolate framework material, ZIF-8

One of zeolitic imidazolate framework materials (ZIF), ZIF-8, has been synthesized with microwave irradiation and conventional electric heating at 140̃180 °C. ZIFs are porous crystalline materials and are similar to metal organic framework (MOF) materials because both ZIFs and MOFs are composed of both organic and metallic components. ZIFs are very stable and similar to zeolites because ZIFs have tetrahedral networks. ZIF-8, with a decreased crystal size, can be synthesized rapidly with microwave irradiation. The microwave synthesis of ZIF-8 is completed in 4 h at 140 °C and the reaction time is decreased by about 5 times compared with the conventional electric heating. The ZIF-8 obtained by microwave heating has larger surface area and micropore volume compared with the ZIF-8 synthesized with conventional electric heating. It can be confirmed that ZIF-8s show type-I adsorption isotherms, explaining the microporosity of the ZIF-8s. Based on FTIR and TGA results, it can be understood that the ZIF-8s have similar bonding and thermal characteristics irrespective of heating methods such as microwave and conventional heating.