Defects and Disorder in MOFs

Structural disorders and defects of various nature are important features of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to be considered while estimating and investigating their structure and activity. They may appear in situ during crystal growth or be deliberately introduced, that is, “engineered,” into the molecular scaffold of MOFs. Defects engineering in MOFs is a challenging concept for fine-tuning material properties, providing novel opportunities in catalysis, sorption, magnetic, optical, conductive properties, and so on. Thus, accurate characterization and understanding of defects and their effect are of primary importance for further progress in this field. This contribution provides a concise overview of defects in MOFs, highlighting only the most important and interesting issues on their types, formation, characterization, and impact.