The rise of morphology-engineered microporous organic polymers (ME-MOPs): synthesis and benefits

This review summarizes recent synthetic approaches for morphology-engineered microporous organic polymers (ME-MOPs). 0D, 1D, and 2D ME-MOPs were prepared by various hard and soft template methods. Silica spheres, metal–organic frameworks, zeolite particles, metal oxide nanoparticles, and water drops in organic media were utilized as templates for the synthesis of hollow MOPs. MOP films could be engineered using 2D plates as templates. Organic surfactants could induce the growth control of MOP nanoparticles. In some cases, ME-MOPs could be prepared by template-free synthesis. The ME-MOPs were utilized as templates for the synthesis of new ME-MOPs. Noncovalent self-assembly events were also utilized for the synthesis of ME-MOPs. The ME-MOPs provide various benefits over conventional MOPs. Due to the efficient mass transfer of reactants, hollow MOPs showed enhanced catalytic and energy storage performance. The ME-MOPs showed facile post-synthetic functionalization, compared with conventional MOPs. The ME-MOPs enabled the creation of new carbon and nanocomposite materials through the incorporation of precursors and heat-treatment. Moreover, the ME-MOPs provide the means to enable new applications including drug delivery systems, seed materials for polymer synthesis, and functional membranes for use in environmental and energy systems.