Hydrothermal Synthesis of Cationic Materials

3D nanoporous cationic structures are of vested interest due to their stability, internal pores and selectivity of pore size and/or shape towards guests. If a stable compound that embraces these characteristics is found, it can be applied in the treatment of the anionic pharmaceutical and radioactive wastes which have placed a great toll on our environment. Cationic structures have shown their importance through their ability of anion-exchange. Anion-exchange is the process in which a counter-anion is exchanged for another anionic species in solution. The purpose of this project is to synthesize new cationic materials that preferably encompass this 3D structure for trapping environmental contaminants. Methods used to synthesize the compounds include: solvothermal synthesis, stirring-induced crystallization and slow evaporation. Current experimentations underway include the combination of copper acetate or ytterbium chloride salts with various templates and solvents to create a cationic metal-organic framework. Data acquired from Powder X-ray Diffraction shows promising results; further progress on these experiments is needed.