This study presents an integrated approach for converting zircon sand into functional materials based on zirconium metal–organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs). Zirconium was extracted through three main steps: alkali fusion, water leaching, and nitric acid leaching, resulting in a precursor identified as Zr(OH)2(NO3)2·1.33H2O (ZON). Characterization using XRF, FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX revealed that ZON possesses a high zirconium content (94.87% relative to the total metal content) and distinct structural features. The ZON compound was subsequently utilized as a novel precursor in synthesizing of three types of Zr-MOFs: UiO-66, MOFs-801, and MOFs-808. Structural and morphological analyses indicated that all three MOFs were successfully formed with high crystallinity. These findings demonstrate that locally sourced zircon sand has strong potential as a sustainable and cost-effective raw material for MOF synthesis, while also bridging the knowledge gap between zirconium extraction and the development of sustainable materials chemistry based on local mineral resources.
Palapessy et al. (Wed,) studied this question.