The design principles and emerging trends of PMDIs-based supramolecular organic and metal organic frameworks for their implementation in advanced materials applications are explored. • Enlightened the structural versatility and tunability of functional PMDIs, enabling the construction of SOFs and MOFs. • Surveyed the role of weak intermolecular interactions in the construction of assemblies of SOFs and MOFs of PMDIs. • Elucidated the importance of SOFs and MOFs of PMDIs as an emerging class of materials in energy storage, optoelectronics, sensing, biomedicine, and environmental remediation. • Summarized a brief understanding on the challenges such as stability, scalability, and targeted functionalization of PMDIs for advanced materials applications. Pyromellitic diimides (PMDIs) have emerged as versatile organic building blocks for the design of supramolecular organic frameworks (SOFs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) due to their robust π-conjugation, strong intermolecular interactions, redox and electron-deficient nature, and flexible functionalization approaches. In this review, the study of PMDIs-based rotaxanes, catenanes, macrocycles, intercalary and other host–guest compounds such as solvates, salts and co-crystals along with the PMDIs-based MOFs is carried out. A comprehensive analysis of the synthesis strategies, structural characteristics, and functional properties of such SOFs and MOFs based on PMDIs is provided. Particular emphasis is placed on their applications in optical materials, gas adsorption, solvent separation, sensing technologies, biomedical field and energy storage. Recent advancements highlight the tunability of PMDIs-based frameworks for enhanced stability and performance, though the challenges such as scalability, structural predictability and long-term environmental stability remain key areas for future research. There should be focus on optimizing synthesis strategies, enhancing framework robustness under varying conditions, and exploring novel functionalization approaches to expand their applicability in advanced materials science. The discussion in this review aims to provide insights into the design principles and emerging trends in PMDIs-based frameworks, paving the way for their broader adoption in advanced materials applications.
Singhal et al. (Tue,) studied this question.