Biomimetic MOF: Extremely stable MOFs with different open metal sites and ultra‐large 1D channels, PCN‐222 (Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn), have been assembled with eight‐connected Zr6 clusters and redox‐active metalloporphyrin motifs. PCN‐222(Fe) shows peroxidase‐like activity in aqueous solution, exhibiting highly effective biomimetic oxidation on a number of substrates.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are constructed from metal ions/clusters coordinated by organic linkers (or bridging-ligands). The hallmark of MOFs is their permanent porosity, which is frequently found in MOFs constructed from metal-clusters. These clusters are often formed in situ, whereas the linkers are generally pre-formed. The geometry and connectivity of a linker dictate the structure of the resulting MOF. Adjustments of linker geometry, length, ratio, and functional-group can tune the size, shape, and internal surface property of a MOF for a targeted application. In this critical review, we highlight advances in MOF synthesis focusing on linker design. Examples of building MOFs to reach unique properties, such as unprecedented surface area, pore aperture, molecular recognition, stability, and catalysis, through linker design are described. Further search for application-oriented MOFs through judicious selection of metal clusters and organic linkers is desirable. In this review, linkers are categorized as ditopic (Section 1), tritopic (Section 2), tetratopic (Section 3), hexatopic (Section 4), octatopic (Section 5), mixed (Section 6), desymmetrized (Section 7), metallo (Section 8), and N-heterocyclic linkers (Section 9).

A series of highly stable MOFs with 3-D nanochannels, namely PCN-224 (no metal, Ni, Co, Fe), have been assembled with six-connected Zr6 cluster and metalloporphyrins by a linker-elimination strategy. The PCN-224 series not only exhibits the highest BET surface area (2600 m(2)/g) among all the reported porphyrinic MOFs but also remains intact in pH = 0 to pH = 11 aqueous solution. Remarkably, PCN-224(Co) exhibits high catalytic activity for the CO2/propylene oxide coupling reaction and can be used as a recoverable heterogeneous catalyst.