Synthesis of MOFs and Their Composite Structures through Sacrificial-Template Strategy

Exemplified by chemical conversion of ZnO nanostructures into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanostructures, a sacrificial-template method has been demonstrated for the synthesis of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their composite structures which may not be attainable by other methods. Their properties were investigated and the formation mechanism of ZIF-8 nanostructures was discussed. This method shows the potential of the formation of various-shaped MOFs and their composite nanostructures and will broad the applications of MOFs and their derivatives.