Fast nucleation and growth of ZIF-8 nanocrystals monitored by time-resolved in situ small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering.

Prenucleation clusters: in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering with a one-second time resolution revealed the occurrence of nano-sized clusters during the nucleation and early growth of nanocrystals of a zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF). The complex crystallization process exhibits similarities with crystallization processes of zeolites from solution. Hmim= 2-methylimidazole.