Understanding nanoscale transport in confined spaces: Protecting encapsulated guests with metal-organic frameworks

Creating effective supports is crucial for immobilizing encapsulated substances, enabling biomimetic transformations, or securely containing hazardous materials. Porous organic frameworks offer a breakthrough solution owing to their exceptional surface area, customizable porosity, and versatile compositions. These frameworks can encase guest molecules, enhancing stability and reusability by providing protective armor. Customizable pore openings in these frameworks act as gatekeepers, selectively allowing molecules to pass through, resembling processes in supramolecular chemistry. This advanced immobilization technique paves the way for innovative materials with applications ranging from environmental remediation to pharmaceuticals. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) play a key role in encapsulation processes, unraveling their potential in shaping future scientific and industrial advancements. This review explores the strategies behind encapsulation, focusing on structural intricacies, synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and potential applications of guest entities within both MOF architectures and MOF-derived materials. By comparing nanoporous hosts, this study highlights their unique advantages and behaviors, emphasizing their potential in nanoscience.