Coordination polymers, metal–organic frameworks and the need for terminology guidelines

Abstract

Coordination polymers (CPs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are among the most prolific research areas of inorganic chemistry and crystal engineering in the last 15 years, and yet it still seems that consensus is lacking about what they really are, or are not.

Terminology of metal–organic frameworks and coordination polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2013)

“…While these points could have been credibly argued some 10 years ago common practice in the thousands of scientific articles published since has clearly superseded such hard-line distinctions [8].…”

“…For an extensive discussion of definitions the reader is referred to a more detailed argument in the task group's CrystEngComm article [8]. Briefly, the general idea is that a single chain of polyethylene is a "polymer molecule", and that many individual polyethylene chains make up a polymer.…”

“…Public and by invitation only surveys (announced on the project IUPAC page, the Dalton and CrystEngComm blogs, the ACS Crystal Growth & Design network and the LinkedIn MetalOrganic Framework group) receiving almost 100 answers, the essentials of which were reported in the aforementioned CrystEngComm article [8]. 3.…”

“…Publishing a discussion paper in the RSC (UK) journal CrystEngComm [8], selected as a "hot" paper by the editors and being of the most accessed articles during 2012. 2.…”

Low-frequency Raman study of the ferroelectric phase transition in a layeredCuCl4-based organic-inorganic hybrid

“…1 The best-known OIHs are probably the coordination polymers and/or metal organic frameworks, 2 which, with their high degree of organic connectivity, form a large subclass of OIHs. They are widely studied, particularly in view of their potential applications in catalysis, gas separation, and storage.…”