Aluminum metal–organic frameworks: From structures to applications

It is essential to explore metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with high durabilities and versatile properties for practical applications. Multiple metal ions have been utilized to construct MOFs, among which the aluminum ion (Al3+) has drawn intensive attention due to its low toxicity, abundant reserves in the earth, low cost, and sustainability. As an attractive MOF family in virtue of its diverse structures and functions, Al-MOFs exhibit high physicochemical stability and have wide applications in many scientific and engineering fields, due to the diverse secondary building units (SBUs) of Al3+ and the strong Al-O bond. In this review, we systematically summarize the SBUs and linkers from a structural perspective. We also highlight the research progress of Al-MOFs with novel topologies and structures. According to the composition of Al-metal nodes, Al-MOFs can be divided into Al3+-ions, Al3+-chains, or Al3+-clusters. In addition, the potential applications of Al-MOFs in various fields, including adsorption, separation, photocatalysis, electrochemistry, chirality, and superhydrophobicity are discussed. From the perspective of Al-MOF structures, the relationship between the structure and performances of Al-MOFs is reviewed, and the future application prospects of Al-MOFs are discussed.