Cubic and highly porous [Mn(2-methylimidazolate)2] (Mn-ZIF-8) was synthesized from [Mn(BH4)2·3THF]·NaBH4 under an Ar atmosphere. The structure contains rare Mn2+-4N tetrahedral geometry and has larger cell parameters, resulting in 20% larger amounts of gas uptake compared with [Zn(2-methylimidazolate)2]. A kinetically favored reaction using a reactive metal borohydride precursor is key for the construction of new metal-organic framework systems.