Stimuli‐Responsive, Dynamic Supramolecular Organic Frameworks

Abstract

Supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs) are a class of three‐dimensional, potentially porous materials obtained by the self‐assembly of organic building blocks held together by weak interactions such as hydrogen bonds, halogen bonds, π···π stacking and dispersion forces. SOFs are being extensively studied for their potential applications in gas storage and separation, catalysis, guest encapsulations and sensing. The supramolecular forces that guides their self‐assembly endow them with an attractive combination of crystallinity and flexibility, providing intelligent dynamic materials that can respond to external stimuli in a reversible way. The present review article will focus on SOFs showing dynamic behaviour when exposed to different stimuli, highlighting fundamental aspects such as the combination of tectons and supramolecular interactions involved in the framework formation, structure‐property relationship and their potential applications.

Multiscale Modeling of Physical Properties of Nanoporous Frameworks: Predicting Mechanical, Thermal, and Adsorption Behavior

“…Various terms have been used to describe framework materials that can undergo large-scale changes in their structure, such as dynamic or flexible materials, stimuli-responsive frameworks, or soft porous crystals . The number of such materials has been growing and includes many members from supramolecular families such as the now ubiquitous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), but also covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs) . While the common occurrence of this flexibility induced by guest adsorption or solvent removal was noted relatively early in the development of MOFs and related materials, it was only later that researchers in the field fully realized that soft porous crystals often also exhibit a structural response to other physical or chemical stimuli.…”