Hydrothermal Synthesis of a new Cd-MOF

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous crystalline materials of one-, two-, or three-dimensional networks constructed from metal ions/clusters and multidentate organic linkers via coordination bonding [1]. Exceptionally high porosity, crystallinity, compositional and structural variability, large surface area and acceptable thermal and mechanical stability of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) make them ideal materials to satisfy the needs of various applications such as gas and vapour sorption, chemical separation, catalysis, magnetism, luminescence, drug storage and delivery [1,2].

There are many systematic and facile synthetic routes such as hydro/solvothermal technique, microwave, electrochemical and mechanochemical, etc. Hydrothermal method is used more than any other way due to its high speed [3].

For synthesis of [Cd(BDC)_0.5(PCA)], three constituents i.e. Cd(NO₃)₂·4H₂O, pyridine-4-carboxylic acid (PCA), and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (BDC) in DMF−EtOH were reacted by solvothermal technique under autogenous pressure.

The MOF characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Due to the high intensity of the peaks and a peak that appears in 2Ɵ below 10, we concluded a high porosity of the obtained MOF. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra of MOF are presented. The characteristic C=O vibrations at 1650 cm⁻¹ indicate the existence of carboxylate in PCA and BDC.