Microfluidic reactors for the size-controlled synthesis of ZIF-8 crystals in aqueous phase

Publication date: 15 May 2017
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 122
Author(s): Oleksii Kolmykov, Jean-Marc Commenge, Halima Alem, Emilien Girot, Kevin Mozet, Ghouti Medjahdi, Raphaël Schneider
Zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) crystals can be produced effectively via continuous processes using either a single water phase or a biphasic water/alkane flow in a three-dimensional microchannel. ZIF-8 particles were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, BET and Raman spectroscopy. The microfluidic technology developed allows the fast synthesis (10min) of ZIF-8 crystals over a wide size range (from ca. 300 to 900nm) simply by varying the experimental parameters (flow rates, temperature, …), while maintaining the high specific surface of this material (ca. 1700m²·g⁻¹) and the sodalite crystalline structure. The microfluidic processes developed operate in water between 25 and 100°C and at atmospheric pressure and are therefore valuable alternatives for the environmentally friendly preparation of ZIF-8 particles.

Graphical abstract

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