Size and morphological control of a metal–organic framework Cu-BTC by variation of solvent and modulator

A metal–organic framework of copper 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate (Cu-BTC) has been synthesized using the microwave-assisted method, with different solvents. Synthesized compounds were washed repeatedly with a mixture of deionized water and ethanol to ensure the removal of impurities. Finally, purified samples were characterized using XRD and SEM to understand their morphological and structural features. The effect of solvent and modulator (dodecanoic acid) on the crystallinity and morphology of synthesized particles was investigated. The crystallinity depends on the dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor of the solvent used. The Cu-BTC crystals synthesized using ethylene glycol at low concentration [mole ratio of copper salt (1) to ethylene glycol (180)] were octahedral, but increasing the concentration [mole ratio of copper salt (1) to ethylene glycol (36)] changed the crystal morphology from octahedral to hexagonal. Interestingly, a dramatic change in the particle size and morphology was observed for Cu-BTC synthesized using ethylene glycol with coordination modulator.