Emergence of Surface‐ and Interface‐Induced Structures and Properties in Metal–Organic Framework Thin Films

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are of particular interest to researchers because of their structural diversity and variety of properties. MOF thin films have been intensively investigated for potential applications such as membranes, gas sensors, catalysts, etc. Although most MOF thin films have almost the same structure and properties as their bulk, some MOF thin films show remarkable structural changes and hidden properties that are not observed in the bulk. These phenomena would be induced by the surface and the interface. Recent improvements in thin‐film fabrication methods enabled us to construct MOF thin films and discuss the properties based on the structure, thickness and crystalline orientation in detail. This microreview describes and discusses the fascinating nature of MOF thin films originating from surface/interface. This paper is expected to help with the construction of a research strategy for MOF thin films to obtain hidden structures and properties of MOFs that are not observed in their bulk.