Understanding the Distinctions Between MOFs, COFs, and POPs: A Brief Overview

[KarolinaPL]

What are the differences between 1) Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs), 2) Covalent Organic Polymers (COFs) and 3) Porous Organic Polymers (POPs)?? 2 are the same like 1, but there is no coordination bond just covalent bonds? 3 there is no metal atom? how to distinguish between such a similar species?

 

[HAYAO]

The given three examples have some difference depending on how you classify them.

If you are talking purely in terms of bonding structure, then 1) can be distinguished from 2) and 3). MOFs are composed of metal ion that links organic ligands by coordination bonds. COFs and POPs are composed of covalent bonds.

In terms of periodicity and its well-defined structure, 1) and 2) can be distinguished from 3). In a strict definition (one that is commonly used), COFs are crystalline, well-defined version of POPs, and MOFs are coordination compound version of POPs, since POPs are generally considered amorphous. In a broad sense, COFs are part of POPs.

 

[KarolinaPL]

So...

1) MOFs (inorganic-organic hydrids which consist of metal/metal clusters nodes and organic ligand as linkers, can be crystalline, amorphous, micro- or mesoporous),
2) crystalline COPs (extended organic structures where building blocks are linked by strong covalent bonds, they are made entirely from light elements (H, B, C, N, and O), micro- or mesoporous),
3) amorphous POPs (a class of highly crosslinked polymers possessing (microporous or porous)) ?

THANK YOU!