The variety of functionalities and
porous structures inherent to
metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) together with the facile tunability
of their properties makes these materials suitable for a wide range
of existing and emerging applications. Many of these applications
are based on processes involving interaction of MOFs with guest molecules.
To optimize a certain process or successfully design a new one, a
thorough knowledge is required about the physicochemical characteristics
of materials and the mechanisms of their interaction with guest molecules.
To obtain such important information, various complementary analytical
techniques are applied, among which vibrational spectroscopy (IR and
Raman) plays an important role and is indispensable in many cases.
In this review, we critically examine the reported applications of
IR and Raman spectroscopies as powerful tools for initial characterization
of MOF materials and for studying processes of their interaction with
various gases. Both the advantages and the limitations of the technique
are considered, and the cases where IR or Raman spectroscopy is preferable
are highlighted. Peculiarities of MOFs interaction with specific gases
and some inconsistent band assignments are also emphasized. Summarizing
the broad analytical possibilities of the IR and Raman spectroscopies,
we conclude that it can be applied in combinations with other techniques
to explicitly establish the structure, properties, and reactivity
of MOFs.