Tuning of Particle Size of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-7 via Rapid Synthesis Duration for CH4 Adsorption

In this work, zeolite imidazolate framework-7 (ZIF-7) nanoparticles are synthesized via a solvothermal method and rapid synthesis durations of 1 h and 3 h. The effect of the synthesis duration on the structural properties of ZIF-7 was characterized by XRD and FESEM analyses. Subsequently, CH4 single gas adsorption over ZIF-7 nanoparticles was examined using the volumetric method at room temperature and pressure ranging from 2 to 9 bar. The results showed that the synthesized ZIF-7 adsorbents were highly crystalline with a well-defined and homogeneous particle size distribution of 50–60 nm. It was found that increasing the synthesis duration from 1 h to 3 h did not amend the structure and morphology of the resultant samples significantly, mainly due to the short synthesis duration. Meanwhile, the CH4 adsorbed by ZIF-7 nanoparticles increased with rising pressure for both samples, and the ZIF-7 nanoparticles synthesized at 3 h showed a greater adsorption capacity than that of 1 h, mainly due to its higher crystallinity and well-developed pore structure. The ZIF-7 synthesized at 3 h demonstrated an adsorption capacity up to 2.2 mol/kg, which was higher than those values reported in the literature for micron-sized ZIF-7 samples. The CH4 gas adsorption behavior of ZIF-7 nanoparticles synthesized at 1 h and 3 h were well predicted by the Langmuir isotherm model, with coefficients of determination, R2, of 0.9994 and 0.9982, respectively.