Metal-organic frameworks’ tricks in asymmetric catalysis

Asymmetric catalysis plays an irreplaceable role in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, pesticides, and chiral optics. Due to the lessons from the specific catalysis occurring inside enzyme pockets, chiral metal-organic frameworks (CMOFs) are conceived as promising candidates for subtly modulating asymmetric catalysis performances. In this review, we first discuss an overview of the design and construction strategies of CMOFs that are essential to discern their versatile tricks in asymmetric catalysis. More importantly, a thoughtful discussion concerning CMOFs’ tricks in performance regulations of asymmetric catalysis is presented, including chiral pore environment decoration, metal node variation, crystal phase controlment, and nanostructure engineering. In addition, challenges and opportunities in this fundamental and cutting-edge research are also provided based on our own perspectives to attract more research interests and efforts in the future.