Review on synthesis and application of MIL-53

MIL-53 is a metal organic framework (MOF) belonging to the MIL (Material Institute Lavoisier) group. It is a 3-D framework, built up by the combination of metal salt (Al, Fe, Cr) and linker (terephthalic acid). It is well known for its flexibility in structure and the phenomenon of breathing. It was first synthesized in the year 2002 by Gerard Ferey using chromium salt and widely used for adsorption/separation applications due to its remarkable flexibility and porous structure. In the formation of MIL-53, different ranges of metal ions and linker are used which provides the possibility of the formation of different compositional variety. From the literatures reported in this paper, it was found that the researchers have used just three synthesis routes solvothermal, electrochemical, and microwave-assisted methods for the synthesis of MIL-53 and found to have only few applications. This paper aims to appraise the methods being used for synthesis of MIL-53 and its several applications.