Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring Self-Assembled MOF-Polymer Composites
Published on: June 14, 2024
Coordination polymer gels: soft metal-organic supramolecular materials and versatile applications
Papri Sutar1, Tapas Kumar Maji1
1Molecular Materials Laboratory, Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore 560 064, India. tmaji@jncasr.ac.in.
Abstract:
In recent times, significant attention has been paid to the development of functional coordination polymer gels (CPGs) from rationally designed low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) and metal ions. Coordination of metal ions to LMWGs provides an opportunity to emulate metal based redox, optical, electronic and magnetic properties in soft CPG materials. The metal-LMWG interactions allow controlled growth of CPGs with different nanostructures such as fibers, tubes, rings, ribbons and vesicles. Furthermore, the nanoscale periodicity of metal ions and LWMGs in CPGs is of paramount importance for different optoelectronic applications. The easy processability and dynamic nature of CPGs are explored for application in diverse fields, including drug-delivery, gas storage, optoelectronics, chemo-sensing, self-healing, etc. Also, by taking advantage of dynamic metal-ligand coordination bonds various stimuli-responsive multi-functional CPGs are developed. In this feature article, we cover important examples of newly developed CPGs, which show potential applications in different fields.
Related Concept Videos
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Properties of Organometallic Compounds
Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Coordination Number and Geometry
Polymers

