A journey in search of single-walled metal-organic nanotubes

Single-walled metal-organic nanotubes (SWMONTs) represent a family of new, structured porous materials. Metal-organic nanotubes (MONTs) offer an attractive alternative to carbon nanotubes because cationic metal ions are incorporated into the backbones of MONTs. However, efforts regarding the preparation of metal-organic nanotubes have been few in number, compared with the focus on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and synthetic nanotubes (SNTs). In particular, the preparation of single-walled metal-organic nanotubes (SWMONTs) remains largely unexplored. The goal of this feature article is to highlight synthetic strategies, the structural characteristics of this unique class of SWMONTs materials and explore possible applications.