POM-based MOF materials, which combine the advantages of both POMs and MOFs, have received increasing attention. In this review, we present the recent developments in porous POM-based MOF materials for the first time, including their classification, synthesis strategies and applications, especially in the field of catalysis.

Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8), for the first time for ZIFs, exhibits a remarkable capacity for the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), around 660 mg of 5-FU/g of ZIF-8, and presents a pH-triggered controlled drug release property. These prove ZIF-8 to be a valuable candidate for delivery of anticancer agents and reveal its potential applications in the treatment of cancer.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are well known for their tunable structure and porosity. Many studies have shown they are promising for various important applications, for which their performance can be further enhanced by encapsulating functional species, such as luminescent guest molecules, within the frameworks. Although numerous MOFs are luminescent, very few emit white light and their quantum yield is usually low. Here we report a strategy to achieve efficient white-light emission by encapsulating an iridium complex in the MOF cavity. A mesoporous blue-emitting MOF is prepared as host to encapsulate a yellow-emitting iridium complex, [Ir(ppy)₂(bpy)]⁺. The resultant composites emit bright white light with good colour quality (for example, Commission International de I’Eclairage coordinates, colour-rendering index and correlated colour temperature of (0.31, 0.33), 84.5 and 5409 K, respectively), and high quantum yield up to 115 °C. This strategy may open new perspectives for developing high-performance energy-saving solid-state lighting materials.