Structural and mechanistic insights into the selective adsorption by Metal–Organic Frameworks

Abstract

Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an important material in the last three decades with their varied applications in chemical industries. These compounds have crystal structures made up of organic pillars and inorganic vertices. The concepts of "node-and-spacer" and “secondary building unit” help in designing MOFs. In hybrid porous solid MOFs, solvent serve as the primary template, produces neutral skeletons and offers a platform for the formation of equilibrated frameworks. This review provides a detailed understanding of the structural aspect of MOFs, the organic linkers and metal ions constituting the building units. The review also gives important insights into several conventional and non-conventional synthetic routes of MOFs. The conclusion and outlook of the literature review discussed suggests that MOFs provide additional design and customization options for the pore size which is important for understanding the compatibility between the surface of porous materials and the guest molecules. The exceptional gas storage capacities of MOF present them as an alternate sustainable renewable energy source. Various applications of MOFs owing to their strong adsorption capacities are discussed which will be of much help for further research in toxicological and environmental fields.