An ambient aqueous route to scalable ZIF-8 fabrics for harmful gas capture

Removing specific environmental and harmful contaminants presents a significant technological challenge. While zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) in powder form has excellent gas adsorption capacity and stability, developing an eco-friendly method to effectively incorporate the ZIF-8 powder into flexible substrates is crucial for its practical applications. Herein, we propose a solid-state method to prepare self-sacrificial ZnO template, and then convert the template into ZIF-8 coating on fabrics in an ambient aqueous solution. The randomly aligned ZnO nanorods on fabric surfaces serve as both sacrificial templates and nucleation sites, and the solid-liquid interfacial coordination between Zn 2+ released from ZnO and 2-methylimidazole aqueous solution enabled rapid formation of a dense ZIF-8 intergrown coating with tunable size and loading content. The mechanism of the transformation from solid precursor to crystalline ZIF-8 coating was inferred. The coated fabrics featured outstanding stability and easy processability. Furthermore, the porous fabric showed high adsorption capability, stability and recyclability for ammonia. This inexpensive, controllable and scalable method for synthesizing ZIF-8 coatings in an ambient aqueous solution offers a feasible route for the applications of human health and environmental sustainability. • An entirely aqueous route in room-temperature transforms solid ZnO templates into dense and tunable ZIF-8 coatings on fabrics, eliminating harsh conditions and organic solvents for eco-friendly and scalable production. • Mechanistic insight suggests a solid-to-crystalline transformation via amorphous intermediate, providing a clear pathway for controlled ZIF-8 growth on flexible substrates. • Universal substrate compatibility and precise tunability are achieved, enabling adjustable crystal size and loading on various fabrics through simple precursor concentration regulation. • The prepared scaled-up samples revealed exhibit robust coating stability, good breathability and excellent wearer comfort toward industrial production. • Multifunctional gas-adsorbing fabrics demonstrate high removal efficiency for NH₃, CH₃COOH and CO₂ for practical applications.