Yan-Jia Lin, Qing-Xin Zeng*, Xiao-Min Shen*, Shou-Tian Zheng, Xin-Xiong Li*

Cite this article: Chin. J. Struct. Chem., 2025, 44(10), 100702. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2025.100702

Publication date: October 15, 2025

Keywords: Tripodal alcohol ligand; Metal cluster; Polyoxometalate; Cluster-organic frameworks

ABSTRACT

Crystalline metal cluster-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials have emerged as a significant frontier in materials chemistry due to their unique structural designability and tunable properties. The bifunctional ligand 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-(4-pyridyl)-1,3-propanediol (H3L), featuring both hard hydroxyl donors on one side and a soft pyridyl group on the other side, enables selective metal coordination via Hard-Soft Acid-Base (HSAB) theory and directs hierarchical metal cluster assembly. This review systematically summarizes the recent advances on metal cluster-based materials coordinated by H3L, including their syntheses, crystal structures, and related physicochemical properties.