Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as an important family of compounds for which new properties are increasingly being found. The potential for such compounds appears to be immense, especially in catalysis, sorption and separation processes. In order to appreciate the properties and to design newer frameworks it is necessary to understand the structures from a fundamental perspective. The use of node, net and vertex symbols has helped in simplifying some of the complex MOF structures. Many MOF structures are beginning to be described as derived from inorganic structures. In this tutorial review, we have provided the basics of the node, the net and the vertex symbols and have explained some of the MOF structures. In addition, we have also attempted to provide some leads towards designing newer structures/topologies.

Three novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [Co(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))][C(12)H(8)O(COO)(2)](2), 1, [Ni(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(2)][C(12)H(8)O(COO)(2)](2).H(2)O, 2, and [Zn(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))][C(12)H(8)O(COO)(2)](2), 3, with three-dimensional structures have been synthesized and characterized. The structures of the three compounds appear somewhat related, formed by the connectivity involving the metal polyhedra (Co(4)N trigonal bipyramids in 1, NiO(4)N(2) octahedra in 2, and ZnO(4) tetrahedra and ZnO(3)N(2) trigonal bipyramids in 3), 4,4'-oxybis(benzoate), and 4,4'-bipyridine. The photocatalytic studies on 1-3 indicate that they are active catalysts for the degradation of orange G, rhodamine B, Remazol Brilliant Blue R and methylene blue. The compounds have also been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, IR, thermogravitmetric analysis, UV-vis, photoluminescence, and magnetic studies.

Rare-earth-based metal-organic frameworks (ReMOFs) have emerged as an interesting family of compounds, for which new properties are increasingly being found. Based on the potential of ReMOFs, resulting from their optical properties, large numbers of investigations have been carried out during the last decade. Among these investigations, ReMOFs as optical sensors, using their luminescence properties, are increasingly becoming an attractive and useful topic of research. In this study, we have provided the basics of the luminescence behaviour of ReMOFs, various possible sensing mechanisms, and a summary of the uses of ReMOFs for the sensing of nitro explosives, cations, anions, small molecules, pH, and temperature.

The role of temperature and time of reaction in the formation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been studied in two systems of compounds, manganese oxybis(benzoate) and manganese trimellitates, and the results compared and contrasted with other similar studies in the literature. The investigation reveals the formation of six different phases in oxybis(benzoate) and three phases in trimellitate systems. The low-temperature phases in both systems of compounds possess Mn 4 cluster units linked by the carboxylate ligands, while the high-temperature phase, irrespective of the duration of the reaction, has a three-dimensional structure with -Mn-O-Mn- linkages with brucite-related layers pillared by oxybis(benzoate) and Kagome-related layers pillared by trimellitate ligands. In all of the preparation, the reactions appear to have thermodynamic control as a function of the temperature. The isolation of low-dimensional structures in manganese oxybis(benzoate) at moderate time and temperature indicates possible kinetic control. The formation of reactive low-dimensional phases has been rationalized by considering the local charge distribution around the Mn site and also invoking a possible dissolution-recrystalization mechanism.

A new metal-organic framework [Co(OBA)(DATZ)0.5(H2O)] {OBA = 4,4'-oxybis(benzoic acid) and DATZ = 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole}, 1, was synthesized by hydrothermal reaction. Single-crystal X-ray data of 1 confirmed two-dimensional rhombus grid network topology with a free nitrogen site of triazole ring and two amine groups of each DATZ. Photoluminescence study of 1 in aqueous medium shows blue emission at 407 nm upon excitation at 283 nm. This emissive property was used for the sensing of Al(3+) ions in aqueous medium through very high luminescence turn-on (6.3-fold) along with the blue shifting (∼24 nm) of the emission peak. However, luminescence studies in the presence of other common metal ions such as Mg(2+), Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Co(2+), Mn(2+), K(+), Na(+), Ca(2+), Cd(2+), Hg(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(2+), Fe(3+), and Cr(3+) in aqueous medium shows luminescence quenching in varying extent. Interestingly, the luminescence turn-on-based selectivity of Al(3+) ions in aqueous medium was achieved even in the presence of the highest quenchable metal ion, Fe(3+). Furthermore, very high sensitivity was observed in the case of Al(3+) ions with a limit of detection of Al(3+) of 57.5 ppb, which is significantly lower than the higher limit of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommendation of Al(3+) ion for drinking water (200 ppb).

Octahedral Co(2+) centers have been connected by mu(3)-OH and mu(2)-OH(2) units forming [Co(4)] clusters which are linked by pyrazine forming a two-dimensional network. The two-dimensional layers are bridged by oxybisbenzoate (OBA) ligands giving rise to a three-dimensional structure. The [Co(4)] clusters bond with the pyrazine and the OBA results in a body-centered arrangement of the clusters, which has been observed for the first time. Magnetic studies reveal a noncollinear frustrated spin structure of the bitriangular cluster, resulting in a net magnetic moment of 1.4 microB per cluster. For T > 32 K, the correlation length of the cluster moments shows a stretched-exponential temperature dependence typical of a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless model, which points to a quasi-2D XY behavior. At lower temperature and down to 14 K, the compound behaves as a soft ferromagnet and a slow relaxation is observed, with an energy barrier of ca. 500 K. Then, on further cooling, a hysteretic behavior takes place with a coercive field that reaches 5 T at 4 K. The slow relaxation is assigned to the creation/annihilation of vortex-antivortex pairs, which are the elementary excitations of a 2D XY spin system.

A hydrothermal reaction of Mn(OAc)(2)·4H(2)O, Co(OAc)(2)·4H(2)O and 1,2,4 benzenetricarboxylic acid at 220 °C for 24 h gives rise to a mixed metal MOF compound, [CoMn(2){C(6)H(3)(COO)(3)}(2)], I. The structure is formed by the connectivity between octahedral CoO(6) and trigonal prism MnO(6) units connected through their vertices forming a Kagome layer, which are pillared by the trimellitate. Magnetic susceptibility studies on the MOF compound indicate a canted anti-ferromagnetic behavior, due to the large antisymmetric DM interaction between the M(2+) ions (M = Mn, Co). Thermal decomposition studies indicate that the MOF compound forms a tetragonal mixed-metal spinel phase, CoMn(2)O(4), with particle sizes in the nano regime at 400 °C. The particle size of the CoMn(2)O(4) can be controlled by varying the decomposition temperature of the parent MOF compound. Magnetic studies of the CoMn(2)O(4) compound suggests that the coercivity and the ferrimagnetic ordering temperatures are dependent on the particle size.

The successful discovery of novel multifunctional metal phosphonate framework materials that incorporate newer organoamines and their utilization as a potential electroactive material for energy storage applications (supercapacitors) and as efficient heterogeneous catalysts are the most enduring challenges at present. From this perspective, herein, four new inorganic–organic hybrid zinc organodiphosphonate materials, namely, [C5H14N2]2[Zn6(hedp)4] (I), [C5H14N2]0.5[Zn3(Hhedp) (hedp)]·2H2O (II), [C6H16N2]­[Zn3(hedp)2] (III), and [C10H24N4]­[Zn6(Hhedp)2(hedp)2] (IV) (H4hedp = 1-hydroxyethane 1,1-diphosphonic acid), have been synthesized through the introduction of different organoamines and then structurally analyzed using various techniques. The compounds (I–IV) possess a three-dimensional network through alternate connectivity of zinc ions and diphosphonate ligands, as confirmed using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The investigations of electrochemical charge storage behaviors of the present compounds indicate that compound III exhibits a high specific capacitance of 190 F g–1 (76 C g–1) at 1 A g–1, while compound II shows an excellent cycling stability of 90.11% even after 5000 cycles at 5 A g–1 in the 6 M KOH solution. Further, the present materials have also been utilized as active heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysts in the ketalization reaction. The screening of various substrate scopes during the catalytic process confirms the size-selective heterogeneous catalytic nature of the framework compounds. To our utmost knowledge, such a size-selective heterogeneous Lewis acid catalytic behavior has been observed for the first time in the amine templated inorganic–organic hybrid framework family. Moreover, the excellent size-selective catalytic efficiencies with the d10 metal system and recyclability performances make the compounds (I–IV) more efficient and promising Lewis acid heterogeneous catalysts.