Vapor-assisted synthesis of the MOF-74 metal-organic framework family from zinc, cobalt, and magnesium oxides.

In this work, we investigate the vapor-assisted synthesis of the metal-organic framework MOF-74 starting from three metal oxides (ZnO, CoO, and MgO). Depending on the nature of the added vapor (H 2 O, DMF, DMSO), the metal oxide, and the temperature, the outcome of the reaction can be directed towards the desired porous phase. Ex situ and in situ XRD measurements reveal the formation of an intermediate phase during the reaction of MgO with H 4 dobdc, while the MOF-74 phase forms directly for ZnO and CoO. The reduced CO 2 uptake of the resulting materials compared to solvothermally prepared MOFs might be offset by the convenience of the presented route and the promise of a high space time yield.