Ni-BTC (Nickel 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylate): Multifunctional Nickel MOF for Catalysis and Energy Storage, Now Manufactured in Indonesia

Nickel has one advantage that copper lacks in a comparable MOF: it switches easily between the Ni²⁺ and Ni³⁺ oxidation states, storing charge through a strong pseudocapacitive mechanism. A pristine Ni-BTC electrode has been reported to reach a specific capacitance of 234 F/g at a current density of 0.43 A/g, and when combined with Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene into a composite nanosheet, that performance jumps to 867.3 F/g at 1 A/g. Ni-BTC (Nickel 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylate) is the MOF behind that performance: a porous framework built from nickel ions linked by trimesic acid (1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), the same ligand used in Cu-BTC, but with a metal center that gives it a very different electrochemical character.

Research labs in Indonesia have typically had to import nickel-based MOFs with clean crystal structures and genuinely active redox sites. Ni-BTC's real-world performance in catalysis and energy storage depends heavily on how completely its crystal forms, not just on the chemical formula on paper. That's starting to change.

ITNANO (CV. Inovasi Teknologi Nano), based at the NRE Lab in Medan, is Indonesia's first private nanomaterials research startup manufacturing Ni-BTC locally. Here's what Ni-BTC actually is, why its crystal quality matters, and where it's being used in research and industry today.

What Is Ni-BTC?

Ni-BTC is built from nickel ions linked by 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate ligands, forming a porous three-dimensional framework with a high surface area, part of the same broader family as Cu-BTC but with a nickel metal center instead of copper. Its chemical formula is C₉H₆NiO₆, with a molecular weight of 268.83 g/mol, and it takes the form of a powder.

Crystal quality is the biggest factor in Ni-BTC's performance, because its redox-active nickel sites only function optimally when the MOF framework forms completely and is free of residual solvent still coordinated to the metal. Imperfectly grown crystals, or ones still holding onto residual solvent, reduce the number of Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ sites that are actually accessible for redox reactions, even though the powder may still look like the same MOF on the outside. ITNANO's Ni-BTC is manufactured with consistent crystal quality control on every batch, ensuring its active nickel sites are genuinely usable for catalytic and electrochemical applications.

Where Ni-BTC Is Being Used

Supercapacitor and battery electrodes

The Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ redox couple in Ni-BTC gives it strong pseudocapacitive behavior, with a pristine Ni-BTC electrode reported to reach 234 F/g at 0.43 A/g. That performance can be pushed further through compositing; for example, Ni-BTC nanosheets combined with Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene have been reported to reach 867.3 F/g at 1 A/g, using MXene's high conductivity to compensate for pristine Ni-BTC's relatively limited electrical conductivity.

Catalysis and catalyst support

Its porous structure and active nickel sites make Ni-BTC widely used as a catalyst or catalyst support in a variety of chemical reactions, drawing on the combination of high surface area and redox activity at its metal centers.

Gas adsorption and separation

Like other transition-metal MOFs, Ni-BTC is also used for gas adsorption and separation, where its uniform pore structure allows selective interaction with specific gas molecules.

Chemical and electrochemical sensing

Changes in Ni-BTC's electrical properties upon interacting with target molecules make it a material of interest for chemical and electrochemical sensors, drawing on the sensitivity of its nickel redox couple.

Water and environmental treatment

Beyond energy and catalysis applications, Ni-BTC is also applied in pollutant adsorption for water treatment and environmental remediation, drawing on its high surface area and affinity for a range of contaminants.

Why Source Ni-BTC Locally

Ni-BTC's nickel redox sites are a property sensitive to storage conditions and long-distance shipping, particularly humidity, which can cause solvent or water to recoordinate to the metal and block off previously active sites. This kind of performance loss isn't always visible through simple visual inspection. ITNANO, established by the Titian Research Group's NRE Lab, manufactures Ni-BTC domestically with consistent crystal quality control on every batch, giving labs in Indonesia a nickel MOF whose performance can be relied on from the moment it arrives.

Whether you're developing supercapacitor or battery electrodes, formulating catalysts, researching gas adsorption and separation, or working on sensing and water treatment applications, Ni-BTC gives you active nickel redox sites and crystal quality that a distant supplier can't guarantee after shipping, without the import wait.

See ITNANO's MOF product line for current specifications and pricing.

Get Research-Grade Ni-BTC Today

Whether you're working on supercapacitor and battery electrodes, catalysis, gas adsorption and separation, or sensing and water treatment research, ITNANO gives you direct access to locally manufactured, research-grade Ni-BTC.

📦 View product specifications at itnano.store

💬 WhatsApp: +62 822-9800-0698

🛒 Also available on Tokopedia, Shopee, and TikTok Shop

---

ITNANO is a product line by NRE Lab (CV. Inovasi Teknologi Nano), based in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, advancing local access to graphene, 2D materials, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and other advanced nanomaterials for research and industry.