In the diagrams presented in the other three sections, the points show where atoms would lie if there were no motion due to heat; that is, if the metal's temperature were at absolute zero (-273°C).

When a liquid metal cools and turns into a solid, its atoms come together to form crystals. The structure of these crystals is not perfect. Sometimes an extra layer of atoms squeezes between other ...

The metal ions form nodes that bind the arms of the linkers together to form a repeating, cage-like structure. Due to this hollow structure, MOFs have an extraordinarily large internal surface area.