Metal‐Organic Frameworks: Nanoscale Frameworks

Abstract

Abstract The empty volume within porous materials provides virtually unlimited space for imagination, allowing the use of their internal surface with different functionalities for a myriad of applications. This is particularly the case for porous metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), which are highly crystalline inorganic–organic networks constructed by assembling metal ions or metal‐containing clusters with multifunctional organic ligands. MOFs are attracting considerable attention due to their various structural architectures, which exhibit extremely high surface areas and feature tunable pore size. The functionalization of their internal surface is the key aspect for their intriguing properties in gas storage and separation, catalysis, drug delivery, sensing, and magnetism. To date, most of the MOFs reported for specific applications are bulk materials; however, miniaturizing them to the nanoscale (nanoMOFs) and integrating the resulting nanoMOFs onto surfaces will be essential for the future development of MOF‐based materials and devices. Analogously to the well‐known case of inorganic nanoparticles, nanoMOFs can exhibit novel and often enhanced properties compared to their corresponding bulk form, opening up new perspectives for many technological and biomedical applications. In this chapter, we summarize recent advances in nanoMOF synthesis (0D, 1D, 2D nanoMOFs, SURMOFs, hybrid MOF‐based nanocomposites, and MOF superstructures) and describe how their small size can optimize their potential in gas storage and separation, drug delivery, medical imaging, catalysis, magnetism, and sensors, offering a panoramic view of this embryonic class of nanomaterials.