Pillared layer compounds based on metal complexes. Synthesis and properties towards porous materials

Microporous materials have been studied extensively because of their useful properties such as gas adsorption, ion exchange, and heterogeneous catalysis. Pillared-layer structure is a representative of porous structural motifs. Not only the channel size and shape but also the chemical and physical properties could be readily designed and realized by pillar modules. A large number of pillared layer compounds, mainly in inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid compounds, have been synthesized and characterized. On the other hand, pillared layer compounds based on coordination compounds are still sparse. We describe new types of pillared layer compounds, constructed from together with coordination compounds, focusing on structures, properties and advantages as materials, future prospects.