Hydrogen storage in Zr-fumarate MOF

•Zr-fumarate MOFs were synthesized using water as solvent and HCOOH as modulator.•The resultant Zr-fum MOFs has high thermal and hydro stabilities.•The H2 uptake capacity is comparable to early reported MOF materials.•The easy production qualifies them as good candidate for H2 storage applications.

In this work, we synthesized Zr-fumarate MOFs by applying water as solvent and formic acid as modulator. Highly crystalline Zr-fumarate MOF obtained from 120 °C, 24 h synthesis conditions showed high thermal and hydro stabilities. Compared to the early reported MOF materials, the lower cost, more environmentally friendly synthesis process and comparable hydrogen uptake capacity make Zr-fumarate MOFs a good candidate for hydrogen storage applications.