Purification of metal-organic framework materials

1. A method of purification of a solid mixture comprising a wanted metal-organic framework material and a second unwanted material, comprising disposing the solid mixture in a liquid separation medium comprising an organic solvent having a density that lies between those of the wanted MOF material and the second unwanted material, whereby the solid mixture separates by density differences into a fraction of wanted MOF material and a fraction of second unwanted material.

2. The method of claim 1 including isolating a crystalline MOF material from a mixture containing a second material comprising the same organic-strut and/or metal-ion building blocks.

3. The method of claim 1 including separating of a mixed organic strut MOF material from a second MOF material containing only a single type of organic strut.

4. The method of claim 1 including separating a non-interpenetrating MOF material from an otherwise identical material consisting of catenated networks.

5. The method of claim 1 including a separating different MOF morphologies.

6. The method of claim 1 including a separating a catalytically active MOF material and a non-active species of the MOF material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid separation medium comprises a mixture of a plurality of organic solvents.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the liquid separation medium comprises DMSO and CH 2 BrCl.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the liquid separation medium comprises CH 2 Cl 2 :CHCl 3 :CH 2 BrCl.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the liquid separation medium comprises CH 2 ClBr:CH 3 Cl:DMF.