Microwave-assisted synthesis of metal-organic frameworks

Microwave heating, used in organic chemistry for several decades, has only recently been applied to the preparation of multi-dimensional coordination polymers, more commonly known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Microwave heating allows short reaction times, fast kinetics of crystal nucleation and growth, and high yields of desirable products which can be isolated with few or no secondary products. The most significant developments in the use of microwave heating for the preparation of MOFs are briefly reviewed from this perspective, emphasizing systematic studies of well-characterised materials, which lead to their isolation in large quantities over economically-viable periods of time. Emphasis is given to the growth of nano-sized crystallites which may find direct applications in functional devices.