Bismuth-based metal-organic framework prepared by pulsed laser ablation method in liquid

Metal organic framework (MOF) is an important class of highly porous hybrid materials with its unique structures and properties. A bismuth-based MOF was prepared by pulsed laser ablation in liquid environment as a physical bottom-up method for the first time. The experiment involved the ablation of a bismuth target in a solvents with the fundamental wavelength of a ns pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Materials include bismuth target for preparation of Bi(3+)ion as a connector center, benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (BTC) as a bridging ligand, and methanol and dimethylformamide as a solvent. We studied the effects of laser fluence and concentration of BTC in the ablation environment on the properties of bismuth-based MOF structure. The MOF was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy for determination of functional groups, Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer for evaluation of optical properties, X-ray diffraction for investigation of crystal structure, field emission scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope for presentation of morphology and size of produced nanostructures. Based on the results, laser ablation is a capable, clean, and simple candidate method for synthesizing different kinds of MOF.