Goal-directed design of metal–organic frameworks for liquid-phase adsorption and separation.

Graphical abstract Highlights • MOFs and derived membranes for liquid-phase adsorption/separation are reviewed. • Goal-directed design methodologies of host–guest interactions are summarized. • Molecular recognition needs fine tuning of different host–guest interactions. • Advantage and deficiency of current task-specific design are included. Abstract Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which are constructed from metal ions/clusters with organic linkers, are in a stage from fundamentals to applications. The application of MOFs in liquid-phase adsorption/separation is one of the most significant headways in the environment and chemistry. Concerning tunable porosity, multiple functional sites and devisable host–guest interactions, goal-directed designs lead to task-specific MOFs and are requisite to perform precise molecular recognition in liquid-phase adsorption/separation. In this review, we give insights into the goal-directed design strategies of organic linkers and metal clusters for the elaboration of task-specific MOFs with targeting effects and high recognition capability, as well as the related progress of MOF-derived membranes. In addition, we put forward the cooperation of different recognition mechanisms to achieve high adsorption/separation performance. At the end, we address the challenges in these fields and propose the prospects and possible evolution for future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]