Particles that derive from infinite co-ordination polymers (ICPs) are an interesting new class of material.[1–10] These structures, similar to their crystalline macroscopic metal–organicframework (MOF) counterparts,[11–30] have many unusual and potentially useful properties. They often have very high surface areas, exhibit tailorable chemical and physical properties through particle-core or-surface chemical functionalization and, because of their size, are highly dispersible materials.[1–10] Consequently, ICP particles are attractive for many applications in asymmetric catalysis, mixture separations, gas storage, and biosensing.[1, 2, 9]

ICP particles are typically synthesized from transition metal ions and multifunctional organic or organometallic ligand building blocks. The reactions are arrested at the nano-or microparticle stage through solvent-induced precipitation and the resulting ICP particles are typically amorphous, not crystalline, structures. These structures exhibit fast ion-exchange properties and it has been shown that one particle type can be rapidly interconverted into several others through such exchange reactions.[3]