Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metal−Organic Frameworks: A Fast and Facile Approach toward Quantitative Yields and High Specific Surface Areas

The strategy of utilizing mechanochemical synthesis to obtain metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) with high surface areas is demonstrated for two model systems. The compounds HKUST-1 (Cu3(BTC)2, BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate) and MOF-14 (Cu3(BTB)2, BTB = 4,4′,4′′-benzenetribenzoate) were synthesized by ball milling and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal analysis (DTA/DTG/MS). The specific surface area (SSA) of both compounds was characterized by nitrogen adsorption. To verify these results and to understand how the synthetic conditions influence the pore structure and the surface area, additional small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments were carried out. Our investigations confirm that this synthesis approach is a promising alternative method for distinct MOFs. This facile method leads to materials with surface areas of 1713 m2/g, which is comparable to the highest given values in the literature for the respective compounds.