Shenzhen Polytechnic University

Shilin Li

Wei Chen

Liang Zhang

Xiaolin Li

Tao Gong

A method for preparing an amorphous hierarchically porous UiO-66 is provided. Ammonium fluoride is added to promote dissolution of terephthalic acid (TPA) in water, and then zirconium nitrate is dissolved in water. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) shows high hydrophilicity, and ethoxy repeating unit in the PEG interacts with zirconium ions, thus promoting coordination self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands. The zirconium ions react with carboxyl groups of the TPA through coordination. The coordination is achieved through chemical bonding between the zirconium ions and carboxyl oxygen atoms, thereby forming preliminary coordination polymer structures. As the coordination proceeds, these preliminary coordination polymer structures begin to self-assemble into short-range ordered network structures, in which water molecules act as a medium to help the zirconium ions and organic ligands ligate in space, thereby generating the amorphous hierarchically porous UiO-66.

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Shilin Li