Coordination polymer gels: soft metal–organic supramolecular materials and versatile applications

In recent times, significant attention has been paid to the development of functional coordination polymer gels (CPGs) from rationally designed low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) and metal ions. Coordination of metal ions to LMWGs provides an opportunity to emulate metal based redox, optical, electronic and magnetic properties in soft CPG materials. The metal–LMWG interactions allow controlled growth of CPGs with different nanostructures such as fibers, tubes, rings, ribbons and vesicles. Furthermore, the nanoscale periodicity of metal ions and LWMGs in CPGs is of paramount importance for different optoelectronic applications. The easy processability and dynamic nature of CPGs are explored for application in diverse fields, including drug-delivery, gas storage, optoelectronics, chemo-sensing, self-healing, etc. Also, by taking advantage of dynamic metal–ligand coordination bonds various stimuli-responsive multi-functional CPGs are developed. In this feature article, we cover important examples of newly developed CPGs, which show potential applications in different fields.