Design and synthesis of zeolitic tetrazolate-imidazolate frameworks

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are an important subclass of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Recently, we have developed a new kind of ZIF-like materials, namely zeolitic tetrazolate-imidazolate frameworks (ZTIFs) by mixing imidazoles and tetrazolates into one self-assembly system. The introduction of tetrazolates supplies uncoordinated N sites on the frameworks, which remarkably enhance host-guest interactions. Furthermore, ZTIFs well balance the functionality and stability which have received more and more attention since their birth. In this manuscript, we give a complete review on the design and synthesis of ZTIFs. In particular, we emphasize the synthetic strategy to construct ZTIFs with diverse topological structures via link-link interaction and using structure-directing agents (SDAs) or templates. Their promising applications in gas separation, catalysis, electrocatalysis, chiral sensing and enantiomer separation, and so on are also discussed. This review will provide reference for scholars with the background of porous materials, separation, and catalysis.