Vapor-phase zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 growth on fibrous polymer substrates

The use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in practical applications is often hindered by synthesis related challenges. Conventional solution-based approaches rely on hazardous solvents and often form powders that are difficult to integrate into practical devices. On the other hand, vapor-phase approaches generally result in MOF films on silicon substrates that make it difficult to characterize the MOF surface area, which is an important quality indicator. We address these challenges by introducing a solvent-free synthesis method to form MOF–fiber composites, which can be more easily integrated into devices. Additionally, these vapor-phase-formed MOF–fiber composites are compatible with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis to characterize MOF quality. Atomic layer deposition is used to form a ZnO film on polypropylene, polyester, and nylon fibrous substrates, which is subsequently converted to zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) using 2-methylimidazole vapor. We describe the effects of the ZnO film thickness and MOF conversion conditions on MOF crystallinity and surface area. We report a ZIF-8 surface area of ∼1300 m²/g_MOF, which is comparable to reported surface areas of ∼1250–1600 m²/g_MOF from conventional synthesis techniques, demonstrating good quality of the solvent-free MOF–fiber composites. We expect these results to extend vapor-phase MOF formation to new, practical substrates for advanced sensing and catalytic applications.