ZIF-8 was successfully synthesised using di?erent methods as described in section 3.1. All methods resulted in white ZIF-8 crystals which crystal structure was con?rmed with use of X-ray di?raction. Infrared spectroscopy showed that all of the 2-methylimidazole linker has been deprotonated during the reaction or was removed during the puri?cation of the product.
Some di?erences were observed, the drying process for the ZIF-8 crystals synthesised in DMF didn’t result in complete empty pores as seen in the IR spectrum in which bands of DMF are present. From this can be concluded that emerging the crystals in methanol for 3 days is not su?cient to fully exchange the DMF from the pores with methanol, which probably is due to the coordination of DMF to the framework. The di?erent synthesis methods resulted in di?erent shapes and crystal sizes as seen with SEM, the synthesis in DMF at 140? resulted in the biggest particles with a size of ± 100-200 µm on which smaller particles were observed. Cubic shaped particles with an average size of 700 nm with smooth surfaces were obtained using aqueous ammonia as reaction medium at room temperature. With methanol as solvent at 55? crystal sizes of ± 80 nm were obtained which are hexagonally shaped with smooth surfaces.
