A water-based method was reported to synthesize ZIFs materials at room temperature. The procedure involved the addition of chemical precursors such as zinc salts and organic linkers into water. The crystallization can be accelerated via deprotonation using a base that deprotonates the organic linker to initiate the coordination. The organic base plays a dual role; deprotonation and creates a metal oxide or metal hydroxide that offers sacrificial templates for crystal formation.