Issue 43, 2017

Shape control in ZIF-8 nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles@ZIF-8 heterostructures

Abstract

Shape control in metal–organic frameworks still remains a challenge. We propose a strategy based on the capping agent modulator method to control the shape of ZIF-8 nanocrystals. This approach requires the use of a surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and a second capping agent, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS), to obtain ZIF-8 nanocrystals with morphology control in aqueous media. Semiempirical computational simulations suggest that both shape-inducing agents adsorb onto different surface facets of ZIF-8, thereby slowing down their crystal growth rates. While CTAB molecules preferentially adsorb onto the {100} facets, leading to ZIF-8 particles with cubic morphology, TRIS preferentially stabilizes the {111} facets, inducing the formation of octahedral crystals. Interestingly, the presence of both capping agents leads to nanocrystals with irregular shapes and higher index facets, such as hexapods and burr puzzles. Additionally, the combination of ZIF-8 nanocrystals with other materials is expected to impart additional properties due to the hybrid nature of the resulting nanocomposites. In the present case, the presence of CTAB and TRIS molecules as capping agents facilitates the synthesis of metal nanoparticle@ZIF-8 nanocomposites, due to synergistic effects which could be of use in a number of applications such as catalysis, gas sensing and storage.

Graphical abstract: Shape control in ZIF-8 nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles@ZIF-8 heterostructures

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 May 2017
Accepted
24 Jul 2017
First published
25 Jul 2017

Nanoscale, 2017,9, 16645-16651

Shape control in ZIF-8 nanocrystals and metal nanoparticles@ZIF-8 heterostructures

G. Zheng, Z. Chen, K. Sentosun, I. Pérez-Juste, S. Bals, L. M. Liz-Marzán, I. Pastoriza-Santos, J. Pérez-Juste and M. Hong, Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 16645 DOI: 10.1039/C7NR03739B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements