Abstract
The use of zirconium propoxide (Zr(OnPr)) in place of zirconium chloride (ZrCl4) leads to an alternative synthesis route for producing high-quality crystals of UiO-66 with no generation of hydrochloric acid. This new method enables the inclusion of HCl-sensitive gold nanoparticles into the mother solution for encapsulation by UiO-66, laying the groundwork for the development of new MOF composites.