UV–Vis DRS and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, combined with excitation selective Raman spectroscopy, allow us to understand the main optical and vibrational properties of a metal–organic MOF-5 framework. A O²⁻Zn²⁺ → O⁻Zn⁺ ligand to metal charge transfer transition (LMCT) at 350 nm, testifies that the Zn₄O₁₃ cluster behaves as a ZnO quantum dot (QD). The organic part acts as a photon antenna able to efficiently transfer the energy to the inorganic ZnO-like QD part, where an intense emission at 525 nm occurs.

This review addresses the most relevant aspects of vibrational spectroscopies (IR, Raman and INS) applied to zeolites and zeotype materials: acidity, basicity and site accessibility investigated by probes molecules; precise determination of the IR absorption coefficients; thermodynamic aspects of molecular adsorption; space and time resolved experiments.