Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a fascinating class of crystalline nanoporous materials that can be synthesized with a diverse range of pore dimensions, topologies, and chemical functionality. As with other well-known nanoporous materials, such as activated carbon and zeolites, MOFs have potential uses in a range of chemical separation applications because of the possibility of selective adsorption and diffusion of molecules in their pores. We review the current state of knowledge surrounding the possibility of using MOFs in large-scale carbon dioxide separations. There are reasons to be optimistic that MOFs may make useful contributions to this important problem, but there are several critical issues for which only very limited information is available. By identifying these issues, we provide what we hope is a path forward to definitively answering the question posed in our title.

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We have witnessed a rapid growth in the field of a new nanoporous material group, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), over the past decade. MOFs possess a wide array of potential applications in chemical engineering, chemistry, and materials science, including gas storage, gas separation, and catalysis. One of the areas MOFs started to appear recently is biomedical applications. The unique physical and chemical characteristics of MOFs make them promising candidates for drug storage and drug delivery, nitric oxide storage and delivery, imaging, and sensing. In this review, we outline the recent progress of using MOFs as a promising platform in biomedical applications due to their high drug loading capacity, biodegradability, and versatile functionality. We also demonstrate the potential of MOFs for continuous development and implementation in biomedical applications by discussing issues including stability, toxicology, and biocompatibility. Although significant progress has been made in utilizing MOFs for biomedical applications, further improvements must still occur before MOFs can become viable therapeutics options.

Metal−organic framework (MOF) materials are a class of nanoporous materials that have many potential advantages over traditional nanoporous materials for adsorption and other chemical separation technologies. Because of the large number of different MOFs that exist, efforts to predict the performance of MOFs using molecular modeling can potentially play an important role in selecting materials for specific applications. We review the current state-of-the-art in the molecular modeling and quantum mechanical modeling of MOFs. Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to date to examine structural and electronic properties of MOFs and the calculation of MOF−guest interactions. Molecular modeling calculations using empirical classical potential calculations have been used to study pure and mixed fluid adsorption in MOFs. Similar calculations have recently provided initial information about the diffusive transport of adsorbed fluids in MOFs.