Introducing porosity into metal–organic framework glasses

Glasses formed by the melt quenching of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are the first new category of glass since metallics in the 1970s, and have begun to redistribute attention in the MOF field away from the crystalline state. Those formed to date are, however, relatively dense and so proposed interest focuses mainly on their physical properties. Here, we suggest routes to incorporate porosity into the glasses, borrowing from both inorganic and organic polymer science. We then speculate on the future adsorptive applications of these materials.