A new zeolitic lithium aluminum imidazolate framework.

An aliovalent mixed-metal framework DUT-174 [LiAl(2-methylimidazolate)4]n, isostructural to ZIF-8, was synthesized from lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) and 2-methylimidazole (2-mImH) through dehydrogenation. Lithium and aluminum cations acting as alternating framework nodes are coordinated tetrahedrally by (2-mIm)-. DUT-174 has a high specific surface area of 1149 m2 g-1 and CO2 uptake of 11.