The effect of non-ionic surfactants on the sustainable synthesis of selected MOFs

The MOFs selected in this work are NH2-MIL-53(Al), MIL-100(Fe) and UiO-66 type (Zr-BDC and NH2-Zr-BDC). We have tried to assist the sustainable synthesis of MOFs, at room temperature and in water as a solvent, with the presence of non-ionic surfactants: Pluronic F127 and P123. The parent MOFs prepared at room temperature with water solvent commonly grow in the form of agglomerates of small crystallites in all cases. The X ray diffraction patterns of surfactant templated NH2-MIL-53(Al) with F127 and MIL-100(Fe) with F127 and P123 show some differences in peak intensity indicating preferential crystal growth along one direction. This effect was confirmed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, yielding long shaped crystals with more or less uniform morphology, notably larger than the parent MOFs. In the case of UiO-66 type (Zr-BDC and NH2-Zr-BDC) MOFs, the X ray diffraction profiles of the parent and the surfactant templated MOFs do not show noticeable difference, which might be due to the semi-amorphous nature of these MOFs. However, the scanning and transmission electron microscopy images show larger particles in surfactant templated UiO-66 type Zr-MOFs compared to their parent counterparts.