Localized Conversion of Metal–Organic Frameworks into Polymer Gels via Light-Induced Click Chemistry

The ability to control the structure and topology of polymer networks, both on macroscopic and molecular levels, is crucial for optimizing their performance. Here we describe a novel type of network polymer, which is synthesized via conversion of a highly ordered metal–organic framework (MOF) template into a polymer gel. The synthesis is performed using light-induced and metal-free thiol–ene click chemistry. The use of light-triggered reactions in combination with photomasks or other photopatterning techniques allows the reaction to be locally confined and thereby structuring the network polymer on a macroscopic level. The potential to vary and exactly adjust the parameters within the polymer network (including exact network topology on the nanometer scale as well as the macroscopic morphology) combined with the ability to further functionalize their surfaces or incorporate guest molecules allows their targeted design for potential applications in catalysis and optoelectronics as well as their use as a novel biomaterial.