Metal-Organic Framework Based 1D Nanostructures and Their Superstructures: Synthesis, Microstructure, and Properties

Owing to their high and tunable porosity as well as great chemical diversity, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise over the past 20 years for a wide range of applications, including gas storage/separation, catalysis, and biomedicine. To date, MOF nanoparticles (NPs) have mostly been obtained as polycrystalline powders or spherical nanocrystals while anisotropic MOFs nanocrystals have been less explored and are of interest in the fields of catalysis, sensing, and electronics. One of the main challenges for the practical application of MOFs is thus to control the crystal size, morphology, and multiscale porosity of these materials while developing adequate shaping strategies. In this review, we cover recent advances in the different synthetic strategies of one-dimensional (1D) MOF nanocrystals as well as hierarchical porous superstructures based on tubular MOFs. We describe the architectures based on MOFs nanotubes (NTs), nanowires (NWs), and nanorods (NRs). Our discussion is focused on the synthetic approaches that drive the structure, crystallinity, size, and morphology of these hierarchical porous hybrid materials. Finally, their potential for different applications is presented.

Automated summary

MOFs have shown great potential in various applications due to their high and tunable porosity as well as chemical diversity. However, research on certain forms of MOF nanocrystals is limited. Controlling the crystal size, morphology, and porosity is a major challenge for practical applications, but different synthetic strategies offer potential solutions to this issue.