A comprehensive review on synthetic approaches for metal-organic frameworks: From traditional solvothermal to greener protocols

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) the porous materials have been primarily created by using the inorganic metallic centers and the different organic ligands linked via coordination bonds to construct the one, two, or three-dimensional networks depending upon the spatial arrangement of both inorganic and organic constituents. The construction of a plethora of well-defined porous MOFs, covering a wide range of topologies and an even broader range of pore sizes and surface area, superior design flexibility, and tunable functionality, has fueled the exploration of wide-open unprecedented scope in several fields such as gas purification, storage, catalysis, sensor materials, drug delivery, and wastewater treatment. Here, we review the outline journey of synthesis of MOFs, from the year 1995 to 2019, highlighting the transition in synthetic approaches based on the principles of green chemistry from conventional solvothermal to the greener protocols. Moreover, the expansion of several sustainable synthetic routes and the deeper symphony of post-synthetic approaches may lead to the fabrication of robust MOFs with new structural morphologies and enthralling features, that would be convenient for countless real-world applications. These challenges and orientations may result in a continual expansion of interest and further growth in MOF chemistry.