Controlling the Hierarchical Morphology of ZIF-67 via Hydrothermal Synthesis: Insights into the Stability for Gas Separation

This study focuses on optimizing the synthesis parameters of ZIF-67 by using the hydrothermal method and assessing the hydrothermal stability of the resulting hierarchical structures. The primary goal is to evaluate their structural integrity in aqueous environments, which is crucial for applications such as gas separation membranes. The optimization process involved dissolving 2-methylimidazole (MeIM) and the surfactant CTAB at controlled temperatures while vigorously stirring to promote micelle formation, followed by the addition of the metal precursor. This resulted in ZIF-67 particles with improved crystallinity and a more uniform morphology. Hydrothermal stability tests showed that ZIF-67 synthesized without CTAB was more resistant to structural degradation when exposed to water compared to the samples containing the surfactant. These results highlight the importance of synthesis conditions in enhancing the stability of ZIF-67, demonstrating its potential for gas separation applications, particularly CO₂ capture.