Facile synthesis of nano-sized MIL-101(Cr) with the addition of acetic acid

MIL-101(Cr), one of the best investigated and widely used metal–organic frameworks, has been easily synthesized with particle diameters in the range from 387(28) nm to 90(10) nm by using acetic acid as a modulator . The particle size of MIL-101(Cr) decreased with increasing acetic acid concentration. The decrease of size in high concentration of acetic acid may be explained with the efficient suppression of the framework extension. In a selected condition, MIL-101(Cr) possessing an average diameter of about 90 nm can be prepared easily and reproducibly in gram-scale, with high BET-surface areas (3200–3500 m 2 /g) and fairly good yield (60–75%).