Metal−organic frameworks based on tetraphenylethylene-based building blocks: a review on synthetic strategies

Tetraphenylethylene (TPE) derivatives have garnered considerable interest due to their unique characteristics, including distinctive aggregation-induced emission (AIE) optical properties, flexible and rotatable π-structural subunits, inherent compressible elasticity, and the four-corner connection structure. Such attributes collectively render TPE derivatives as exceptional building blocks for the fabrication of metal−organic frameworks (MOFs). The structural design flexibility and controllability inherent to TPE derivatives enable precise targeted design and synthesis of MOF materials, offering significant advantages in MOF research and application. Consequently, in recent years, MOFs constructed from TPE derivatives have showcased extensive and growing potential applications across diverse domains, including luminescence, gas adsorption and separation, photocatalysis, sensing technology, energy conversion and storage, and biomedical science. This review aims to provide an overview of the design and synthesis strategies, construction methods, and synthesis control techniques for TPE-based MOF materials tailored for specific applications. Throughout the discussion on design and synthesis strategies, the performance advantages of these materials and their promising application prospects in diverse fields are also explored.