Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework ZIF-67: Ultra-High-Porosity Cobalt MOF, Now Manufactured in Indonesia

One gram of ZIF-67 carries an internal surface area of up to 1,017 m²/g, equivalent to more than twice the area of a basketball court, packed into powder grains only about 1.3 micrometers across. That surface area is exactly why Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-67 (ZIF-67) is so sought after for applications that need maximum contact area in the smallest possible volume, from electrocatalysis to gas storage to energy storage. ZIF-67 belongs to the metal-organic framework (MOF) family: a crystalline porous material built from metal ions, cobalt in this case, linked by organic ligands into a three-dimensional framework with uniformly sized pores.

Research labs in Indonesia have typically had to import MOFs with high crystallinity and consistent surface area. That crystal quality is what determines how much surface area is actually usable, not just what's printed on a data sheet. 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 ZIF-67 locally, at 97% purity with full characterization on every batch. Here's what ZIF-67 actually is, why its crystal quality matters, and where it's being used in research and industry today.

What Is ZIF-67?

ZIF-67 is built from cobalt ions linked by 2-methylimidazole ligands, forming a framework with a sodalite (SOD) topology, the same geometric arrangement found in natural zeolites. That topological resemblance is where the name zeolitic imidazolate framework comes from. Its chemical formula is C₈H₁₀N₄Co, with a molecular weight of 221.1 g/mol, and it takes the form of a purple powder.

Crystal quality is the single biggest factor in ZIF-67's performance, because its effective surface area and pore regularity depend heavily on how completely the MOF framework forms during synthesis. A batch with defective or partially collapsed crystals will have a lower usable surface area, even if it still looks like the same purple powder on the outside. ITNANO's ZIF-67 is supplied at 97% purity, with a BET surface area of 1,017 m²/g (measured by Quantachrome multipoint BET), and a particle size of roughly 1.3 micrometers by SEM. Its XRD pattern shows a sodalite structure consistent with the simulated ZIF-67 pattern, while UV-Vis measurements record an absorbance peak at 598 nm with a bandgap of 2.07 eV, in line with earlier research by Saliba et al. (2018, J. Am. Chem. Soc.), which reported 1.98 eV.

Where ZIF-67 Is Being Used

ORR and OER electrocatalysis

Its cobalt content and porous structure make ZIF-67 widely researched as a catalyst or catalyst precursor for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), two key reactions in water-splitting technology and metal-air batteries. As one example, an IrO2@ZIF-67 composite has been reported to require an overpotential of just 220 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm², with a Tafel slope as low as 58 mV/decade, and remained stable for over 50 hours of testing at 50 mA/cm², substantially outperforming unmodified ZIF-67.

Precursor for porous carbon and derived catalysts

ZIF-67 is also widely used as a sacrificial template for synthesizing derived materials such as Co₃O₄, CoO, or nitrogen- and cobalt-doped carbon through pyrolysis. Its original porous structure is inherited by the resulting pyrolyzed material, so the derived material retains high surface area while gaining added conductivity and stability from the resulting carbon or oxide phase.

Gas storage and separation

ZIF-67's uniform microporous structure makes it suitable for CO₂ capture, gas storage, and other gas separation processes, where a consistent pore size allows for high molecular selectivity. Its large surface area also translates into a much higher adsorption capacity per gram compared to conventional porous materials.

Sensing, drug delivery, energy storage, and water treatment

Beyond the three main applications above, ZIF-67 is also being researched for chemical sensing, drug delivery systems where its pores can host active molecules, supercapacitor and battery electrodes, and as an adsorbent in wastewater treatment, all drawing on the combination of high surface area and electrochemically reactive cobalt content.

Why Source ZIF-67 Locally

ZIF-67's crystallinity and porosity are properties that are easily disrupted, whether by inconsistent synthesis conditions or by humidity and temperature exposure during long-distance storage and shipping. A batch whose pores have partially collapsed can't be recovered once it arrives, even though it may still look like ordinary purple powder. ITNANO, established by the Titian Research Group's NRE Lab, manufactures ZIF-67 domestically with BET, XRD, and UV-Vis characterization run directly on every batch, giving labs in Indonesia a MOF with genuinely verified surface area on arrival.

Whether you're developing ORR/OER catalysts, synthesizing cobalt-based derived materials, researching CO₂ capture and gas storage, or working on sensing, drug delivery, and energy storage applications, ZIF-67 gives you a surface area and crystallinity 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 ZIF-67 Today

Whether you're working on electrocatalysis, derived material synthesis, gas capture, or sensing and energy storage research, ITNANO gives you direct access to locally manufactured, research-grade Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework ZIF-67.

View product specifications at itnano.store

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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.