Patent ID: 8907102

Claim:
A method for forming a zeolitic imidazolate framework composition, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a synthesis mixture by mixing together components consisting essentially of a reaction medium, a source of a imidazolate or a substituted imidazolate reactant, IM, and a reactant source of metals M 1 and M 2 , wherein M 1 and M 2 comprise the same or different metal cations, at least one of which reactant sources of metals M 1 and M 2 is relatively insoluble in the reaction medium itself and in the synthesis mixture, wherein the reaction medium is selected from the group consisting of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-diethylformamide (DEF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), 1,3-dimethylpropyleneurea (DMPU), a sulfoxide, a phosphoramide, acetonitrile (MeCN), triethylamine (TEA), or a combination thereof; and (b) maintaining the synthesis mixture having at least one relatively insoluble reactant metal source under conditions sufficient to form a zeolitic imidazolate framework composition having a tetrahedral framework comprising a general structure, M 1 -IM-M 2 , and wherein the average particle size of the source of metals M 1 and M 2 is less than 200 nm, and wherein step (b) results in a purity of the zeolitic imidazolate framework composition of at least about 80%.