Laser ablation: A new technique for the preparation of metal-organic frameworks Cu3(BTC)2(H2O)3

• Synthesis of metal-organic framework (MOF) under non-classical conditions.
• The first time that MOF is synthesized using Laser ablation in liquid.
• A crystalline material with 0.2–2 µm with an octahedral morphology is obtained.

This paper presents a chemical bottom-up synthesis of highly crystalline sub micro structured metal organic framework Cu3(BTC)2(H2O)3 (HKUST-1, BTC=benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) prepared for the first time by a Laser ablation technique in liquid environment. The experiment consists of the ablation of a Cu metal target in a solution of DMF/H2O (1:1) containing benzene 1,3,5, benzene tricarboxilic acid and NaNO3 with a high power second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser. The X-ray and SEM measurements showed that high crystalline Cu3(BTC)2(H2O)3 with octahedral morphology and dimensions in the range of 200 nm to 2 µm were obtained in a high yield.