Shape assisted fabrication of fluorescent cages of squarate based metal-organic coordination frameworks

Micronic cage structures of squarate based metal-organic coordination frameworks (MOCFs) have been fabricated for the first time by specific anion selective etching of metal squarate cubes. Time and stoichiometry dependent synthesis and the corresponding microscopic studies have provided mechanistic insight into the cage formation. Furthermore, a non-covalent post-synthetic strategy has been adopted to functionalize the micronic cubes or cages with chromophores rendering the resulting hybrids green fluorescent.