Polyrotaxane metal-organic frameworks (PMOFs).

Polyrotaxane metal-organic frameworks (PMOFs), a relatively rare branch of entangled networks, have received significant attention due to their unusual entanglement topologies. The PMOFs we described here are still at an early stage of development. This feature article summarizes the recent developments in structural types of PMOFs from our own group and others. We make some generalizations about the various classes of PMOFs, and develop the definitions and nomenclature of these entanglements, including classification into trivial and nontrivial polyrotaxanes, and limits on what constitutes a (nontrivial) polyrotaxane. Finally, the synthetic strategies toward the design and preparation of new PMOFs are elucidated.