General principles of biochemistry of the elements

Abstract

Discrete coordination compounds and coordination polymers are topical research fields in inorganic chemistry, crystal engineering, solid-state chemistry, and materials science, due to their potential applications in adsorption, separation, catalysis, electrical, magnetic, and optical applications. Beginning with the basic concepts of coordination compounds and coordination polymers, this chapter briefly describes the synthetic methods and rational synthesis of coordination compounds, and the frequently used strategies for the molecular design, the important factors (such temperature, pH, template, additive, solvent, and counter-ion) that have influences on the self-assembly and crystallization, as well as solvothermal/hydrothermal in situ metal/ligand reactions for coordination compounds and coordination polymers, as well as postsynthetic modifications for porous coordination polymers, through selected examples in the literature.