(395e) MOF Syntheses Scale up and Crystallization Process Development

Metal-organic framework (MOF) synthesis and characterization has increased exponentially in recent years. Due in part to the nearly infinite set of structure possibilities, MOFs exhibit the potential for a plethora of applications including gas separation and storage, catalysis, drug delivery, as well as thin films. However, only a few MOFs are commercially available, and they are much less cost effective than many traditional porous materials such as activated carbons and zeolites.  We examine the scalability of specific MOF syntheses including Mg MOF-74, UiO-66-NH₂, ZIF-65, and Mil-125 within sealed vessels as well as the potential to implement a continuous-flow reactor to reduce down time and increase MOF throughput. Flow-through crystallization processes are well developed for other materials and may play a vital role in the transition of MOFs to the applied level.  Particular attention is paid to examining not only product output or quantity but also quality. Samples are characterized via yield, pXRD, and single component adsorption to allow direct comparison to smaller scale syntheses.