Methods of synthesizing and recycling metal-organic framework systems

A method of making a metal-organic framework system comprising the steps of:

• making a metal-organic framework comprising a plurality of one or more distinct metallic elements and a plurality of linkers, wherein the metal-organic framework comprises a plurality of open metal sites, and wherein a linker bridges at least one of the plurality of the open metal sites to another;
• evaporating a plurality of ligands to produce a vapor-phase;
• and
• in the vapor-phase, binding the at least one of the plurality of ligands to the at least one of the open metal sites of the metal-organic framework to form the metal-organic framework system.