Ionothermal syntheses of six three-dimensional zinc metal-organic frameworks with 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ionic liquids as solvents.

We have performed ionothermal reactions between Zn(NO3)2 and H3BTC in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ionic liquids with the alkyl group varying from ethyl to amyl. Six 3-D metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), including two isomeric compounds [Zn3(BTC)2(H2O)2] x 2H2O (1 and 2) (H3BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate acid), [EMI][Zn(BTC)] (3) (E = ethyl, MI = 3-methylimidazolium), [PMI]Zn(BTC) (P = propyl), [BMI]2[Zn4(BTC)3(OH)(H2O)3] (5) (B = butyl), and [AMI][Zn2(BTC)(OH)Br] (6) (A = amyl), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Compounds 1 and 2 are isomeric compounds, in which the coordination modes of Zn atoms and the BTC3- ligands are considerably different. Compounds 3-6 crystallize with the corresponding ionic liquid cations incorporated in the frameworks. Their crystal structures show various features including various coordination geometries of Zn2+ and various bridging modes of the BTC3- ligands. The incorporated cations appear to have strong interactions with the frameworks.