Progress in new type of glasses from coordination polymers

Glass is a metastable state with a complex system involved many-body state interactions, which is the most challenging question of fundamental science. Coordination polymer glasses are a newcomer to the materials world, having many advantages over traditional glasses such as flexible coordination bonds, permanent pores and tailorable structures and properties. Herein, the background, preparation, glass forming mechanism, property and function of coordination-polymer glasses are reviewed, with the hope to well understand the structure, property and formation mechanism of glasses. It will provide theory for the development of new type of porous glasses. In addition, the development of the design, synthesis and processing of such glassy materials should be of great significant for energy environment, biological medicine and catalysis with practice applications in future.