Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of highly porous materials composed of metal nodes connected by organic linkers. They have a crystalline structure and a large surface area, making them useful for a variety of applications such as gas storage, catalysis, and drug delivery.
MOFs are typically synthesized using solvothermal or hydrothermal methods, where metal salts and organic linkers are mixed in a solvent and heated under high pressure. Other methods such as microwave-assisted synthesis and mechanochemical synthesis have also been developed.
MOFs have a high porosity and surface area, which allows them to adsorb large amounts of gas molecules. They also have tunable pore sizes and surface chemistries, making it possible to design MOFs with specific gas adsorption properties.
Aside from gas storage, MOFs have potential applications in catalysis, drug delivery, and sensing. They can also be used for water purification, as the porous structure can trap and remove pollutants from water.
One challenge in using MOFs is their stability. Some MOFs may degrade in the presence of water or other solvents, limiting their applications. Additionally, the synthesis of MOFs can be time-consuming and expensive, and not all combinations of metals and organic linkers result in stable MOFs.