Synthesis of New Inorganic-Organic Framework Compounds using Ionic Liquids as Solvents

Hybrid inorganic-organic framework compounds are compounds in which metal atoms connect with organic linkers to form extended three-dimensional structures. One of the most recent advances involving these materials takes advantage of their gas storage properties. We have been attempting to synthesize new inorganic-organic framework compounds employing ionic liquids as solvents in order to obtain structures that cannot be synthesized using traditional hydrothermal methods. Reactions were carried out using various metal acetates and glutaric acid in a few different ionic liquids. All products formed in these reactions were in the form of powders, not crystals. We proceeded doing several more sets of reactions using the same metal acetates as before, but we changed some of the reaction variables such as temperature, concentration and nature of the ionic liquid solvent in an effort to obtain single crystals. To this point, we have not obtained single crystals of any framework materials however through powder X-ray diffraction we have confirmed that we have synthesized six new structures that have diffraction patterns indicative of framework materials. Crystals are necessary to be able to solve these structures since structure solution from powder diffraction is very difficult. Efforts are continuing to form crystals of the new compounds using both the methods described above and also utilizing microwave heating.