High-pressure Mechanical Behaviour Under Hydrostatic Compression

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the structural response of MOFs to high-hydrostatic pressure and methods used for in situ structural characterisation under such conditions. Flexible MOFs undergo pressure-stimulated structural distortions, phase transitions, and guest-mediated processes relevant to numerous practical applications. The structural changes usually occur with retention of the framework crystallinity, allowing flexible behaviour to be followed by high-pressure crystallography and/or spectroscopy. Identification of generalised structural responses to hydrostatic pressure across frameworks sharing common structural features or topologies is presented, and their structure–property relationships are discussed, an understanding of which is necessary to realise rational design of MOFs with predictable properties.