Crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are formed by reticular synthesis, which creates strong bonds between inorganic and organic units. Careful selection of MOF constituents can yield crystals of ultrahigh porosity and high thermal and chemical stability. These characteristics allow the interior of MOFs to be chemically altered for use in gas separation, gas storage, and catalysis, among other applications. The precision commonly exercised in their chemical modification and the ability to expand their metrics without changing the underlying topology have not been achieved with other solids. MOFs whose chemical composition and shape of building units can be multiply varied within a particular structure already exist and may lead to materials that offer a synergistic combination of properties.

The Chemistry and Applications of Metal-Organic Frameworks

Adsorptive separation is very important in industry. Generally, the process uses porous solid materials such as zeolites, activated carbons, or silica gels as adsorbents. With an ever increasing need for a more efficient, energy-saving, and environmentally benign procedure for gas separation, adsorbents with tailored structures and tunable surface properties must be found. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), constructed by metal-containing nodes connected by organic bridges, are such a new type of porous materials. They are promising candidates as adsorbents for gas separations due to their large surface areas, adjustable pore sizes and controllable properties, as well as acceptable thermal stability. This critical review starts with a brief introduction to gas separation and purification based on selective adsorption, followed by a review of gas selective adsorption in rigid and flexible MOFs. Based on possible mechanisms, selective adsorptions observed in MOFs are classified, and primary relationships between adsorption properties and framework features are analyzed. As a specific example of tailor-made MOFs, mesh-adjustable molecular sieves are emphasized and the underlying working mechanism elucidated. In addition to the experimental aspect, theoretical investigations from adsorption equilibrium to diffusion dynamics via molecular simulations are also briefly reviewed. Furthermore, gas separations in MOFs, including the molecular sieving effect, kinetic separation, the quantum sieving effect for H2/D2 separation, and MOF-based membranes are also summarized (227 references).

Selective gas adsorption and separation in metal–organic frameworks

A critical review of the emerging field of MOF-based catalysis is presented. Discussed are examples of: (a) opportunistic catalysis with metal nodes, (b) designed catalysis with framework nodes, (c) catalysis by homogeneous catalysts incorporated as framework struts, (d) catalysis by MOF-encapsulated molecular species, (e) catalysis by metal-free organic struts or cavity modifiers, and (f) catalysis by MOF-encapsulated clusters (66 references).

Metal–organic framework materials as catalysts

Metal–Organic Frameworks for Separations

This critical review will be of interest to the experts in porous solids (including catalysis), but also solid state chemists and physicists. It presents the state-of-the-art on hybrid porous solids, their advantages, their new routes of synthesis, the structural concepts useful for their ‘design’, aiming at reaching very large pores. Their dynamic properties and the possibility of predicting their structure are described. The large tunability of the pore size leads to unprecedented properties and applications. They concern adsorption of species, storage and delivery and the physical properties of the dense phases. (323 references)

Hybrid porous solids: past, present, future

Rigid and Flexible: A Highly Porous Metal–Organic Framework with Unusual Guest-Dependent Dynamic Behavior†

Novel microporous metal−organic framework material composed of Mn(II) and formate ions displays permanent porosity, high thermal stability, and size-selective gas sorption behavior. The framework is stable enough to maintain single crystallinity after the complete guest removal at 150 °C under a reduced pressure. Most importantly, it selectively adsorbs H2 and CO2 but not N2 and other gases with larger kinetic diameters, which appears to be due to the small aperture of the channels. Despite a moderate H2 storage capacity, which is however still higher than that of any zeolite, its H2 surface coverage is one of the highest among the known microporous materials. Thus this new zeolite-like material made of a simple organic building block may find useful applications in gas separation and sensor.

Microporous manganese formate: a simple metal-organic porous material with high framework stability and highly selective gas sorption properties.

A systematic modulation of organic ligands connecting dinuclear paddle-wheel motifs leads to a series of isomorphous metal-organic porous materials that have a three-dimensional connectivity and interconnected pores. Aromatic dicarboxylates such as 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (1,4-bdc), tetramethylterephthalate (tmbdc), 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylate (1,4-ndc), tetrafluoroterephthalate (tfbdc), or 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (2,6-ndc) are linear linkers that form two-dimensional layers, and diamine ligands, 4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (dabco) or 4,4'-dipyridyl (bpy), coordinate at both sides of Zn(2) paddle-wheel units to bridge the layers vertically. The resulting open frameworks [Zn(2)(1,4-bdc)(2)(dabco)] (1), [Zn(2)(1,4-bdc)(tmbdc)(dabco)] (2), [Zn(2)(tmbdc)(2)(dabco)] (3), [Zn(2)(1,4-ndc)(2)(dabco)] (4), [Zn(2)(tfbdc)(2)(dabco)] (5), and [Zn(2)(tmbdc)(2)(bpy)] (8) possess varying size of pores and free apertures originating from the side groups of the 1,4-bdc derivatives. [Zn(2)(1,4-bdc)(2)(bpy)] (6) and [Zn(2)(2,6-ndc)(2)(bpy)] (7) have two- and threefold interpenetrating structures, respectively. The non-interpenetrating frameworks (1-5 and 8) possess surface areas in the range of 1450-2090 m(2)g(-1) and hydrogen sorption capacities of 1.7-2.1 wt % at 78 K and 1 atm. A detailed analysis of the sorption data in conjunction with structural similarities and differences concludes that porous materials with straight channels and large openings do not perform better than those with wavy channels and small openings in terms of hydrogen storage through physisorption.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/chem.200401201

Synthesis, X-ray Crystal Structures, and Gas Sorption Properties of Pillared Square Grid Nets Based on Paddle-Wheel Motifs: Implications for Hydrogen Storage in Porous Materials

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ange.200503023

Danil N. Dybtsev

Papers

Rigid and Flexible: A Highly Porous Metal–Organic Framework with Unusual Guest-Dependent Dynamic Behavior†

Microporous manganese formate: a simple metal-organic porous material with high framework stability and highly selective gas sorption properties.

Synthesis, X-ray Crystal Structures, and Gas Sorption Properties of Pillared Square Grid Nets Based on Paddle-Wheel Motifs: Implications for Hydrogen Storage in Porous Materials

A homochiral metal-organic material with permanent porosity, enantioselective sorption properties, and catalytic activity.

Heterogeneous selective oxidation catalysts based on coordination polymer MIL-101 and transition metal-substituted polyoxometalates