Inorganic nanoparticles in porous coordination polymers

Porous coordination polymers (PCPs) have been recently highlighted because of their high synthetic designability in structure and functions. Because of their ordered nanoporous structures with a large surface area and tunable pore surface functionality, PCPs have emerged as a significant class of nanoporous materials with potential applications in gas storage, separation, catalysis, and chemical sensing. Recent research has shown the utility of PCPs as host materials for the confinement of nanoparticles of inorganic polymers (IPs), such as metals, metal oxides, and metal chalcogenides. The fabrication of IP nanoparticles in PCPs (PCP⊃IP) has been studied for manifesting specific nanosized-dependent properties and host-guest synergistic functions. In this review, we describe the recent progress in the accommodation of IPs in the nanochannels of PCPs and the remarkable functions of the composite materials.