MOFs in the time domain

Many of the proposed applications of metal–organic framework (MOF) materials may fail to materialize if the community does not fully address the difficult fundamental work needed to map out the ‘time gap’ in the literature — that is, the lack of investigation into the time-dependent behaviours of MOFs as opposed to equilibrium or steady-state properties. Although there are a range of excellent investigations into MOF dynamics and time-dependent phenomena, these works represent only a tiny fraction of the vast number of MOF studies. This Review provides an overview of current research into the temporal evolution of MOF structures and properties by analysing the time-resolved experimental techniques that can be used to monitor such behaviours. We focus on innovative techniques, while also discussing older methods often used in other chemical systems. Four areas are examined: MOF formation, guest motion, electron motion and framework motion. In each area, we highlight the disparity between the relatively small amount of (published) research on key time-dependent phenomena and the enormous scope for acquiring the wider and deeper understanding that is essential for the future of the field. The study of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) using time-resolved techniques is relatively unexplored, despite being key to an understanding of their chemical and physical properties. This Review summarizes the applicable techniques and how they can be used to probe MOF dynamics.