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.