Melt-Quenched Hybrid Glasses from Metal-Organic Frameworks

While glasses formed by quenching the molten states of inorganic non-metallic, organic, and metallic species are known, those containing both inorganic and organic moieties are far less prevalent. Network materials consisting of inorganic nodes linked by organic ligands do however exist in the crystalline or amorphous domain. This large family of open framework compounds, called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or coordination polymers, has been investigated intensively in the past two decades for a variety of applications, almost all of which stem from their high internal surface areas and chemical versatility. Recently, a selection of MOFs has been demonstrated to undergo melting and vitrification upon cooling. Here, these recent discoveries and the connections between the fields of MOF chemistry and glass science are summarized. Possible advantages and applications for MOF glasses produced by utilizing the tunable chemistry of the crystalline state are also highlighted.