Structural Chemistry of Metal-Organic Frameworks under Hydrostatic Pressures

Studying the structural behavior of metal-organic frameworks ( MOFs) under hydrostatic pressures is a steadily growing area. The goal of active research is identification of overarching composition-structure principles including both properties of technological relevance and material behavior of academic interest such as material stability criteria, mechanical properties, pressure-induced phase transitions, negative compressibilities, and guest-dependent high-pressure structural responses. Here the current literature on the high-pressure structural responses of MOFs is reviewed with focus on bulk moduli, pressure-transmitting medium dependent properties, pressure-induced phase transitions, and amorphization processes-properties that are derived from high-pressure X-ray diffraction studies. After highlighting topical examples, aspects of high-pressure diffraction studies on MOFs are summarized that are important to advance the field such as the rigorous reporting of experimental and analytical procedures, opportunities that come with custom-made high-pressure diffraction setups, the nature and impact of the pressure-transmitting medium, and the role of forging even closer ties between computation and experiment.